Plea seeks not to impose jallikattu guidelines for manjuvirattu events

Madurai: Madras high court on Tuesday sought a response from the state govt on a plea seeking a direction not to enforce guidelines framed for conducting jallikattu to organise manjuvirattu events.

A division bench of Justice M S Ramesh and Justice A D Maria Clete was hearing a public interest litigation filed by S Muruganantham, secretary of ‘Parambariya Manjuvirattu Padhukappu Nala Sangam', of Sivaganga district.

The petitioner stated that the govt categorised bull games into four: jallikattu, manjuvirattu, vadamadu manjuvirattu, and eruthu vidum vizha. Each event has its own history and has been practised for several centuries in Tamil Nadu.

The authorities had framed a standard operating procedure (SOP) for conducting jallikattu events and the same SOP is being followed for conducting manjuvirattu events too, the petitioner stated. It erroneously stipulates that manjuvirattu should be conducted in a defined area with a proper arena, bull holding area, bull examination area, and bull collection yard. The imposition of such guidelines would affect the original form of manjuvirattu events, he said.

He submitted a representation to the authorities seeking not to impose jallikattu guidelines for conducting manjuvirattu and to permit manjuvirattu to be conducted in its original form without any interference. Since his representation was not considered by the authorities, the petitioner moved the court seeking relief.