Jallikattu argument: TN brings in Article 25 to confuse Supreme Court

 

You have got to hand it to the Supreme Court on this one. After a long time, the SC has made the decision keeping refusing to be involved in distorting the rights laid down by the Indian Constitution. When Tamil Nadu tried to invoke Article 25 to lift the ban on Jallikattu, the Supreme Court taught them what the Article  25 actually contains. 

 

Article 25 talks about the Right to Freedom of Religion in India. It states that "all persons are equally entitled to freedom of conscience and the right to freely profess, practice, and propagate religion subject to public order, morality and health." How does hurting animals in the name of religion count as a right? Any answers?

 

In one corner you have the political brigade and certain actors arguing that Jallikattu should be allowed to held in Tamil Nadu and in the other corner you have the animal welfare activists, the Supreme Court and a few individuals who think the bull should not be sacrificed in the name of tradition and sport.

 

Also read: Tamil superstars Suriya, Dhanush, Haasan back Jallikattu

 

The state tried every trick in the book, from blaming Jayalalithaa, to getting actors to support it, to even the Centre putting its weight behind it. The list has been endless.

 

Also read: BJP manifesto promises to lift Jallikattu ban

 

In a PTI report, it has been stated how senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, appearing for Tamil Nadu, said that every festival has the root in religion and when Jallikattu is an event that takes place after harvest, it has religious flavour and such an ethos cannot be disregarded.

 

To this the court said, “Though the aforesaid argument is quite attractive, we have no hesitation in saying that such an interpretation is an extremely stretched one and inevitably result in its repulsion and we do so. Such kind of imaginative conception is totally alien to the fundamental facet of Article 25 and, therefore, we are compelled to repel the submission.”

 

AIADMK is trying hard to get the ban lifted while DMK is using this as an issue to heckle the current government. In fact, the general sentiment in Tamil Nadu currently is that since the Centre is not doing anything about it, it is being seen as a deliberate attack on Tamil pride and a disregard for Tamil culture and tradition.

 

Tamil Nadu tried the 5000-year-old tradition card, they even tried the religious card, which falls flat because there is no religious sport in India and even science.

 

Also read: Jallikattu is not only a sport, it has a scientific reason!

 

Whatever be the case, this unification of the state for the demand of Jallikattu is an example of the Tamilians love for their state and tradition. While the state takes it as an insult to their state pride and is willing to defy the SC ban, it is left to be seen how the state government reacts to this. They have to keep in mind both the SC and the people of the state.