Lagatar24 Desk
Chennai, Dec.22: Around 80 doctors from across the country have written to the Tamil Nadu government, urging them to cancel jallikattu events scheduled for January.
The possible super-spreader spectacles pose a serious health risk to the public, according to the letter submitted to Chief Minister MK Stalin and Minister of Health, Medical Education, and Family Welfare Ma Subramanian.
“Prohibiting non-essential activities such as jallikattu events, which lead to unnecessary mass gatherings, is essential to prevent the rapid spread of Covid-19 and to protect public health as well as to ease the pressure on health-care professionals,” says Dr Deepshikha Chandravanshi, one of the doctors who signed the letter.
The petition comes as various governments around the world impose stricter safety restrictions in response to increased COVID-19 instances and the threat of the Omicron form, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India.
At least 22 bulls and 69 humans have reportedly perished since the Tamil Nadu government legalised jallikattu in 2017, according to a PETA India statement, while more than 4,696 humans have been injured.
Every year in January, Jallikattu is held as part of the Pongal celebrations in Tamil Nadu. A bull is released in the traditional ritual, and spectators attempt to capture its hump and hang it as it tries to flee.
