MADURAI/NEW DELHI: Amid speculation over the possibility of the Centre creating a mechanism to lift the ban on jallikattu bull this year, P Rajasekar, president of Jallikattu Peravai, on Tuesday said the sport can’t be organised this Pongal.
“Even if the government removes the bull from the list of performing animals, it will not be possible to orgainse jallikattu this Pongal, which falls on Thursday, as it would take time to secure the necessary approval,” he reasoned.
In Delhi, Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar assured that Tamil Nadu’s request is being seriously looked into. “Tamil Nadu government has written a letter to the environment ministry on the issue. A lot of other representations and letters have also come on it. There is huge pressure but no final decision has been taken on it as yet,” said sources in the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
“By tomorrow evening or Thursday morning, some decision on the fate of jallikattu can be reached. But whether that decision would be to allow jallikattu or not is something that cannot be said right now,” they said.
According to environment ministry officials, they are looking into all legal aspects as the Supreme Court had ordered a blanket ban on the sport last year.
On Monday, three senior Tamil Nadu officials led by S Vijayakumar, Secretary, Animal Husbandry Department, met top MoEF officials and discussed the matter in detail.