Jallikattu protest: Courts must view public sentiment

Tamil Nadu:(ONT Bureaue)20//1/17:sympathyLast year, the apex court upheld a two-year-old Bombay High Court order limiting the height of human pyramids and forbidding the participation of minors during Dahi Handi celebrations. It was reasonable. The court did not resort to a complete ban on a century-old tradition. It addressed the core issue: The risk to human lives from tall pyramids. The organisers were getting negligent about it.
Its approach to jallikattu has been different. It bans what locals say is a hugely popular sport in parts of Tamil Nadu, a 2000-year-old tradition. The reason is cruelty to bulls used in the taming game. According to animal lovers, the studs of the native breed that are let loose among young men are tortured in different ways to be kept in an excitable state. The methods include mutilating the ears, making the bulls drunk and selective knifing in body parts. Sure, this is disgusting.
But does it call for doing away with jallikattu altogether? Perhaps a strong directive to address the cruelty part would have sufficed. The district administration and police could have been directed to ensure that no harm is caused to animals. It would have worked to the satisfaction of both sides in the controversy and helped avert the current situation of confrontation between judicial decree and popular sentiment. Unfortunately, the court decided to use a bulldozer where a few hammer blows could have fixed the problem.