The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India on Monday released video footage revealing alleged cruelty to bulls at two ‘rekla’ (bullock cart racing) events held in Tamil Nadu earlier this year.
The Supreme Court had banned bullock cart racing in 2014, and such races are prohibited under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017.
On the basis of a response received on a request for information filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act (in which the Tamil Nadu government declared that ‘rekla’ races and fox jallikattu are illegal in the State) as well as the latest investigation report on ‘rekla’ races, the group has written to the Collectors and the Superintendents of Police of all districts in Tamil Nadu urging them to take immediate legal action against the organisers and participants of cruel and illegal rekla races.
“Despite a clear court ruling and the Tamil Nadu government’s clarification that bullock races are illegal, racers in Tamil Nadu are electrically shocking bullocks, biting their sensitive tails, and beating them mercilessly in order to force them to run at high speeds on hot tar roads,” said PETA India public policy lead Nikunj Sharma, in a press release.
