The new notification by the Ministry of Environment and Forests on banning the performance by bulls has put the future of rural olympics at Kila Raipur games in the doldrums. The bullock-cart race has remained a major crowed-puller in the 75-year-old rural sports event. It is popular not only locally but also draws numerous foreign tourists to the sleepy village. The new notification under Section 22 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, specifies that the following animals shall not be exhibited or trained as performing animals, namely, bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers, lions and bulls.
While thanking former Environment and Forest Minister, Jairam Ramesh for banning performance by bulls, Dr Sandeep K Jain, Chief Coordinator for Care of Animals and Protection of Environment-India (CAPE-India), said the new notification would save bulls as “the animal was being subjected to atrocities by human beings in rural games, including Jallikattu of Tamil Nadu and bullock races in the name of rural sports.
