In a shocking revelation, as many as 220 native bulls walked their way to the abattoirs every day on an average last year. And this is something that the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) is oblivious of, an RTI has exposed.

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) which is vested with the responsibility of monitoring the bulls has no data available regarding the number of bulls slaughtered ever since Jallikattu ban has been imposed.

Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, Chairman of the Kangeyam Cattle Research Foundation has claimed that over 80,000 native breed bulls including Puliyakulam, Kangeyam, Palamalai and Umbalachery that were used for Jallikattu and other related sports have been sold for slaughter in many parts of Tamil Nadu last year.

Meanwhile, an RTI filed by animal rights activist might well go to show that these bulls are not monitored by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), according to the Apex Court’s direction.

The bench of Judges K.S. Radhakrishnan and Pinaki Chandra Ghose in the Supreme Court had on May 7, 2014, directed both the AWBI and the government “to take appropriate steps to see that the persons in charge or care of animals take reasonable measures to ensure the well-being of animals”.

It had also directed both, “to take steps to prevent the infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on the animals since their rights have been statutorily protected under Sections 3 and 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act”. And had further stated that the AWBI and the government would also see that even in cases where Section 11(3) is involved, the animals be not put to unnecessary pain and suffering and adequate and scientific methods be adopted to achieve the same.

However, for an RTI filed by S. Balakumar, a member of the Jallikattu Peravai, to find out the number of bulls sent for slaughter in 2014 after Jallikattu was banned, S. Vinod Kumaar, Assistant Secretary of AWBI, had replied that the AWBI did not have any detail regarding the number of bulls that went for slaughter or died from the date of the ban till the RTI date on May 2015.

The RTI has also stated that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has not asked for details regarding the same nor did the Board give a proposal to the Ministry to keep a note of the bulls registered with the AWBI before taking part in Jallikattu. This was despite the court clearly directing AWBI to take steps to monitor the bulls were safe.

Citing the response in the RTI given by the AWBI, S. Balakumar who had filed the RTI alleged that the AWBI, which had sought the ban on the traditional sport was only doing so to please international organisations like PETA and not working for the welfare of the animals.

He further added that bulls involved in Jallikattu were taken care like children and continued to live as a member of the family. “Unlike what the AWBI has stated that the bulls are both physically and mentally tortured, the owners love the animals like their children. If a bull is injured, it would end in chaos,” he added.

He further added that the AWBI, which was set up to protect animals from being subjected to unnecessary pain was only focusing on stopping Jallikattu. “The AWBI does not seem to care if the bulls are slaughtered,” he alleged.