MADURAI:A Coimbatore-based trust purchasing bulls raised for jallikattu from across the district has raised some eyebrows, with the sports enthusiasts questioning the trust’s motives.
While the trust has said that its aim is to preserve the animals on its farms in Coimbatore, jallikattu afficianados claim that it was trying to export trained animals to foreign customers.
S Nizamudeen, president of Coimbatore Cattle Care Welfare Trust, said, “Our aim is to preserve the jallikattu bulls.
On learning that the rearers are selling the bulls to abattoirs after the Supreme Court ban on the sports, we partnered with like-minded people and started purchasing the animals from Vadipatti, Melur and Natham areas. As of now, we have 100 bulls and we would purchase another 50 soon. The bulls would be taken to our farms. However, if anybody shows interest in rearing the animals, we would sell them.”
According to Nizamudeen, the trust has over 450 animals, including oxen, cows and buffaloes, on their farm at Narisipuram in Coimbatore. “We also bought cattle, which were seized while being transported to slaughter houses in Kerala,” he added.
The transporters treat the animals cruelly, says M Sadasivam, a trustee. “There are 13 rules that need to be followed before slaughtering an animal. However, none follows it,” Sadasivam said.
However, P Rajasekaran, president of Tamil Nadu Jallikattu Peravai, raised suspicion over the trust’s activities. “The trust is targeting bulls reared for jallikattu alone. If the trust aims at preventing cruelty to bulls, they can buy them in the open market. Why target rearers?”.
Meanwhile, the intelligence personnel have also started investigations into the purchase. “We suspect the trust is purchasing jallikattu bulls with an intention to reduce rare breeds’ numbers.
We are looking into the case from all angles,” a police official said.