Efforts of the district police to stop the 150-year-old bull race (Jallikattu) at Rangampeta village near Tirupati failed on Friday, even as the minders of the security and people of a dozen habitations around heaved a sigh of relief the sports passed off peacefully, with no untoward incident.
Thousands of villagers with over 1,000 bulls, decorated with trophies, from a score of villages in Chandragiri mandal gathered at Rangampeta village, 20 km away from Tirupati, from early hours of Friday, despite the repeated warnings of the police to stay away from the risky s.
Jallikattu commenced in the morning, with local MLA Chevireddi Bhaskar Reddy inaugurating the event at Ramireddigaripalle. Animal lovers deplored that despite several programmes and the Supreme Court ruling against the deadly game, bulls were forcibly administered country liquor, apart from the animals being intoxicated with doses of ganja-mixed jaggery lumps. Such manhandling of the cattle would result in their slow death owing to internal injuries and health deterioration, they said.
It may be noted here that the bull-race at Ramgampeta has a violent history. More than 25 persons were grievously injured during Jallikattu in 2012, apart from frenzied bull damaging a police jeep then. In 2011, the event led to injuries to more than 30 people at Baireddipalle near Kuppam.
Meanwhile, the Chandragiri police are tight-lipped over allowing the conduct of Jallikattu at Rangampeta. A senior police officer on condition of anonymity told The Hindu that the SC guidelines against Jallikattu was in connection with Tamil Nadu, and ‘it might not be applicable to our State.’
However, at Pakala, which is also famous for Jallikattu, police prevented the event from happening by issuing warnings to the organisers.
