MADURAI: My three jallikattu bulls earned me the respect and dignity that were robbed from me at the age of 15 when I came out in the open regarding my gender identity,” smiles S Sinthamani (30), a transwoman from Kallanai village in Alanganallur block. Describing her love for jallikattu bulls, Sinthamani said that growing up in a region known globally for the bull-taming sport, she developed an interest in rearing jallikattu bulls during childhood. But poverty kept her from pursuing her dreams.
After being at the forefront of the jallikattu protests at Alanganallur in 2017, she became hell-bent on rearing jallikattu bulls. A fortnight after the protests ended, she was the thrilled owner of a seven-year-old temple bull she named ‘Karuppu’. It was given to her for free by an acquaintance in Kodikulam who could not raise it. Two years later, Sinthamani bought her second bull, Ramu, from Tiruchy district, this time spending her savings of Rs 40,000. A few months later, she brought home Lakshmi, a two-year-old bull.
At the age of three-and-a-half years, Ramu made his jallikattu debut at Alanganallur last January, winning praises and gifts, including gold coins, a cycle, silk saree and utensils. But in a quivering voice, Sinthamani added, “Tragedy struck us during the lockdown as Ramu died of snakebite in May. Due to the prohibitory orders, he could not be given a grand farewell, as per the custom for jallikattu bulls here. Ramu’s demise is no less than the irreplaceable loss of a son.” Ramu would be reborn to us soon, Sinthamani said with unshakeable faith.
When asked which one is her favourite bull, Sinthamani said, “Karuppu is my elder son and the apple of my eye. He showers more love than any human could. He refuses to eat if I’m not around. At night, his noose is always untied because he sleeps next to me. He waits no longer when he watches me unroll my mat to sleep in the cattle shed. Grieving the loss of Ramu, Karuppu starved for about 15 days. It took a lot of effort to make him bounce back.”
Karuppu, who is 11 years old, has participated in jallikattu for the past four years and won several prizes, including a hat-trick in the events that were held consecutively at Avaniapuram, Palamedu and Alanganallur last year. “My bulls earned me respect among the villagers who, until a few years ago, passed lewd comments, hurled abuses, misbehaved, and even thrashed me several times due to my gender identity,” Sinthamani said.
Born into a family of agricultural labourers, Sinthamani has two elder siblings (a brother and sister). She dropped out of school after Class VI. “My mother, S Anushiya, is my biggest pillar of strength. Without her support, I would have become a nomad who could have easily been exploited, like most transpersons. She accepted me the way I am,” she said. “My mother stopped talking to my father, who verbally abused me when I opened up about my gender identity 15 years ago.
Today, she is a proud mother who enjoys watching her other daughter walking her bulls to vadivasal, on television,” Sinthamani added. To earn money to raise her bulls, Sinthamani runs a pani puri shop, and also takes up any job that comes her way. Interestingly, she was born on the third day of the Tamil month ‘Thai’, when the renowned jallikattu event at Alanganallur is held every year. Perhaps it’s this divine coincidence that makes Sinthamani and her bulls inseparable.