VIRAT KOHLI, SHIKHAR DHAWAN, VIDYA BALAN, JOHN ABRAHAM, OTHER TOP STARS TEAM UP WITH PETA TO URGE GOVERNMENT TO UPHOLD BULL RACES, BULLFIGHTS AND JALLIKATTU BAN

Petition Comes in Response to Minister Prakash Javadekar’s Intention to Overturn Ban 

MUMBAI, DEC. 15 -(GNI) People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s new petition calling on the government to uphold the ban on jallikattu, bull races and bullfights has been signed by top film and cricket stars, includingSonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bipasha Basu, John Abraham,Raveena Tandon-Thadani, Vidyut Jammwal, Shilpa Shetty Kundra,Kapil Sharma, Amy Jackson, Athiya Shetty, Sonu Sood, Richa Chadha, Vidya Balan, Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan. The petition comes in response to the repeated announcements by Prakash Javadekar – Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment, Forests and Climate Change – about his intention to allow jallikattu and other cruel uses of bulls by removing bulls from the list of animals who cannot be made to perform, despite a 2014 Supreme Court ruling confirming the ban. The petition can be seen and downloaded here. 

During jallikattu, terrified bulls are deliberately disoriented, chased, jumped on and dragged to the ground. Often, they become so panicked that they break their bones or die trying to flee from human participants. Numerous people, including spectators, have died or been seriously injured at jallikattu events by bulls who are intentionally frightened as part of the “game”. Video footage of jallikattu cruelty can be viewed here and downloaded for use here. 

“How can the same officials who are in favour of protecting cows be planning to overturn a ban that would allow tremendous abuse of the sons of cows?” asks PETA India Chief Executive Officer Poorva Joshipura. “PETA India, with the help of many high-profile supporters and members of the caring public, is urging the Minister to avoid taking a tremendous step backwards by upholding the existing ban on jallikattu, bullfights, bull races and other cruel uses of bulls for performances.” 

During races, bulls are often hit with nail-studded sticks and pushed beyond the point of exhaustion. In bullfights, which often occur in Goa, a round ends when one of the bulls either is killed or manages to flee.

PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment” – has long campaigned against the use of bulls in performances. Last year, the Supreme Court passed a judgement in favour of PETA India and the Animal Welfare Board of India confirming a ban on jallikattu, bullfights and bull races. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com.(GNI)