Proud Tamilian, Is This The Culture You Want to Preserve?

Proud Tamilian, Is This The Culture You Want to Preserve?

Written by Dr. Seshadri Kumar, 19 January, 2017

Copyright © 2017 Dr. Seshadri Kumar.  All Rights Reserved.

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Executive Summary:

There is currently a mass agitation protesting the Indian Supreme Court’s decision to make Jallikattu – the sport of bull-taming - illegal – a decision it arrived at in 2014. Protesters feel the judgement is an attack on Tamil culture.

This article explains why the protesters are misguided, based on the Supreme Court judgement and the facts contained therein. It shows how Jallikattu causes cruelty to the bulls involved in the “sport,” and why Tamil culture would be better off by discarding this savage practice.

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Introduction

There is currently a massive protest ongoing in Chennai at the Marina beach. The protesters, of all ages and genders, have come together to protest the central government’s ban on Jallikattu - a ban instituted on the grounds that it is considered an event that is cruel to bulls. The ban was necessitated by a judgement of the Indian Supreme Court that declared Jallikattu as violative of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act,1960.

Many prominent personalities in Tamil Nadu, such as politicians and cine stars, have come out in support of the agitation as support of “Tamil Culture.” Given the popular support for Jallikattu, it would have been career suicide for them not to support the agitation. One notable and praiseworthy feature of the agitation is that it has been largely peaceful. This is certainly something for Tamil people to be proud about.

The agitation has been presented as an issue of Tamil pride, which makes it difficult for Tamil people to criticize it. That also accounts for the large support it is getting. Everyone wants to be a proud Tamilian, whether or not they know the issues involved. People are saying on TV that Jallikattu is a sport that dates to the Sangam period in Tamil Nadu, and so it is an integral part of Tamil culture. Others are saying the sport can be conducted without inflicting cruelty to the bulls.

However, the entire agitation, and all these arguments in favor of it, are misguided.

The issue is about cruelty to animals. Talk about it being an ancient cultural practice dating from the Sangam period is absolutely meaningless. It only means that Tamil people have been cruel to bulls since the Sangam period. That is not a justification for cruelty. This is like saying that Hinduism should continue caste discrimination because it has been part of Hindu culture for centuries, or that Americans should have continued with discrimination against blacks because it was practiced for centuries.

But do not take my word that Jallikattu is cruel to bulls. Read the Supreme Court judgement. To make it easy for you, I have abstracted the key points from the judgement, as well as given you a link to the entire judgement, so you know I am not lying.

Why Jallikattu is Cruel to Bulls: Summary of the SC Judgement

Here are the facts that people who support the agitation should educate themselves on (I am giving the link to the Supreme Court ruling, which I have now read, so you can confirm for yourselves):

1.     There was an order by the Madras High Court in Madurai in 2007 that upheld Jallikattu.

2.     This was challenged in 2011 in the Supreme Court by two organizations: the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

3.     What is AWBI? It is a statutory advisory body to the government of India on animal welfare issues, created in 1962 under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA). This organization regularly advises the Central Government on such issues, and was started under the stewardship of Smt. Rukmini Devi Arundale, the well-known dancer and humanitarian.

4.     AWBI sent a team to investigate and document the allegations of cruelty to bulls in Jallikattu. The team prepared a detailed report that highlighted several instances of unarguable cruelty to bulls, and presented it in the Supreme Court.

5.     A lot of this cruelty is committed in the holding area called the "vadi vassal" – which spectators cannot see - where the bulls are held before being released into the arena.

6.     The Supreme Court of India considered all the evidence before it carefully and came to the conclusion that the "sport" of Jallikattu indeed did cause unacceptable cruelty to bulls. This verdict was issued in 2014, and made the sport of Jallikattu illegal, as it did bull racing in Maharashtra.

7.     The Supreme Court ruling made it clear that the bull is normally not a combative animal, nor does it normally run fast. It is a docile herd animal that runs only because it feels frightened and terrorized. Therefore, the idea that you can have a "regulated" Jallikattu is ridiculous. The bull runs only when it is terrorized. So, a sport that is predicated on the running of a bull is inherently cruel.

8.    The cruelty is mentioned clearly in the Executive Summary of the judgement (all actual excerpts are shown in italics in this article):

Investigators observed that bulls were forced to participate and were deliberately taunted, tormented, mutilated, stabbed, beaten, chased and denied even their most basic needs, including food, water and sanitation. The findings of this investigation clearly show that bulls who are used in Jallikattu are subjected to extreme cruelty and unmitigated suffering.

These are discussed in detail in the section below. But first see the video that the AWBI presented as evidence in the SC, below.

Details of the Cruelty to Bulls Mentioned in the Judgement (With Actual Extracts)

1.     Cutting the Ears of the Bulls:

At least 80 per cent of the bulls observed had their ears cut, with three-fourths of the external ear pinna absent. When asked about the reason for the mutilation, many bull owners explained that by cutting the ear, the animal would be able to hear sounds even from the back, which they deemed to be very important while the animals are in the Jallikattu arena. Cutting the external ear in no way helps to improve a bulls hearing. Instead, the bull loses his natural ability to receive sounds signals with appropriate positioning and movement of the ear pinna. Cutting the ear causes intense pain and distress as the external ear pinna consists of cartilage and is highly vascular with a rich nerve supply. The procedure leads to physiological, neuroendocrine and behavioral changes in the animal.

2.     Fracture and Dislocation of Tail Bones:

Many bulls suffered from dislocated or even amputated tails caused by deliberate pulling and twisting. The tail, which has nearly 20 small bones, is an extension of the spinal cord and vertebral column. Dislocation and fracture of the tail vertebrae are extremely painful conditions.

3.     Frequent Defecation and Urination by Bulls:

Ninety-five per cent of the bulls were soiled with feces from below the base of their tails and across the majority of their hindquarters. Bulls were forced to stand together in accumulated waste for hours on end. Frequent defecation and urination are indicators of fear and pain in cattle.

4.     Biting a Bull's Tail:

On many occasions, bulls’ tails are bitten by the organizers and owners of the animals in the waiting area and inside the vadi vassal. The vadi vassal is a chamber that is closed off from public view. Abuse runs rampant in vadi vassals. Bulls are poked, beaten and deliberately agitated before they are forced into the Jallikattu arena, where more than 30 bull tamers are waiting. Considered an extremity of the body, a bulls tail has many vertebrae but very little muscle or subcutaneous tissue to protect it. Any direct pressure or injury to the tail bones causes extreme pain that sends bulls into a frenzy.

5.     Twisting a Bull's Tail:

Owners routinely beat the bulls and twist their tails in order to induce fear and pain while they are in the waiting area and the vadi vassal. Many bulls had dislocated or even amputated tails. Frequent pulling and bending of the tail causes extreme pain and may lead to a dislocation and/or fracture of the tail vertebrae.

6.     Poking Bulls with Knives and Sticks:

Many bulls were poked with sticks by owners, police officials and organizers inside the vadi vassal and near the collection yard. People inside the vadi vassal often poked bulls on their hindquarters, aces and other parts of their bodies with pointed wooden spears, tiny knives, sticks and sickle-shaped knives used for cutting nose ropes. Poking bulls with sticks or sharp knives causes immense pain and agitation. Distressed bulls often adopt a flight response and desperately try to escape through the half-closed gates of the vadi vassals. While attempting to flee from people in the arena, agitated bulls often injure themselves when they run into barricades, electric poles, water tanks, tractor carriages, and police watch towers placed inside the Jallikattu arena.

7.     Using Irritants:

Irritant solutions were rubbed into the eyes and noses of bulls inside the vadi vassal in order to agitate them. Eyes and noses are very sensitive, sensory organs, and the use of any irritating chemicals causes pain, distress and an intense sensation. Bulls who try to escape from such torture often end up injuring themselves by hitting walls, gates, fencing and other erected structures inside the vadi vassal and Jallikattu arena.

8.    Using Nose Ropes:

Nose ropes were frequently pulled, yanked or tightened in order to control bulls before they were released into arenas and collection yards. Some animals were even bleeding from the nose as a result of injuries caused by pulling the rope. Pulling or twisting the nose rope exerts pressure on the nerve-rich and extremely sensitive septum, causing bulls pain and making it easier for handlers to force them to move in a desired direction. According to one study, 47 per cent of animals whose noses were pierced had lacerations and ulcerations, and 56 per cent had pus in their nostrils. The study also pointed out that 57 per cent of cattle had extensive and severe nose injuries.

9.     Cramped Conditions:

Bulls were packed so tightly into narrow waiting corridors that they were unable to take a step forwards or backwards. Forced to stand for more than eight hours in line at the waiting area for a health examination and in the vadi vassal, bulls had no protection from the blistering sun and the crowds of people, who shouted and hooted at them, harassed them and frightened them. Bull owners start lining up the night before the Jallikattu event, and they are given serial numbers. Some were in line until the events ended at 2 pm the next day.

10. Forcing Bulls to Move Sideways:

The animals were forced to move sideways at a slow pace for more than eight hours over a distance of approximately 500 to 1000 meters. Forcing bulls to walk sideways, which is an unnatural gait for any animal for a long duration, causes them extreme discomfort.

11.   Lack of Food and Water:

All the bulls observed were not offered food, water or shelter from 8 am, when they were forced to line up, until the jallikattu events ended at 2.30 pm. Though concrete water troughs were available at the registration area and collection yards, none of the animals were offered water. Bulls were so terrified and focused on surviving at the collection yards in Palamedu and Alanganallur that they did not drink water. Several bulls became recumbent and were unable to stand up because of dehydration and exhaustion. Many people kicked, beat and bit the bulls in order to force them back onto their feet.

12.  Forcing Bulls to Drink Liquids:

On many occasions, bulls were forced to drink fluids that were likely liquor. Animals’ heads were raised by pulling on the nose ropes, and the fluids were forced into their mouths using a plastic bottle. Forcing bulls to drink causes them physical discomfort and fear. They often become excited and frenzied as the alcohol affects their central nervous system. Forcing them to drink can also cause the aspiration of fluid in the upper and lower respiratory tracts (lungs). This can cause pneumonia, a serious respiratory disease that can lead to death. Normally, bulls drink water at their own pace from a bucket, but no such allowances were witnessed during any of the Jallikattu events.

13.  Forcing Bulls to Stand in their Own Waste:

In the waiting areas, bulls were forced to wait for more than eight hours while standing in their own feces and urine. No sanitation facilities were made available, and bulls were forced to stand together in the accumulated feces and urine for hours. The accumulated waste attracts flies that bother the animals and cause them discomfort. The eggs laid by the flies may lead to maggot infestation of any wounds the bulls may have.

14.  Spectators Beating and Agitating Bulls:

When collection yards were not present or not used, injured, exhausted bulls were tormented by spectators as they exited. Parallel Jallikattu events happened at each venue as the aggressive crowds agitated the bulls exiting the arena by shouting at them, beating them and jumping on them. Many people, including police officials, beat exhausted bulls with sticks and jumped in front of the bulls in an effort to frighten them. Running for their lives, terrified bulls ran amok, stumbling into shops and houses and slamming into barricades and vehicles parked nearby. Both the bull who died after a head-on collision with a passenger bus in Avaniapuram and the bull who fractured his leg after jumping off a road in Palamedu were running loose when their injuries occurred. Parallel Jallikattu is often considered to be the real Jallikattu, as the most risky action takes place during the deliberate harassment by spectators.

15.  Restraining and Roping:

When bulls entered the collection yard, they were caught using looped rope that was attached to a long stick. At no point were the frightened bulls allowed to calm down. After a long struggle, bulls were captured by handlers who inserted two fingers into their noses and pulled them to the nearest tree while three to four men held their horns and necks using multiple ropes. Once an animal was tied to a tree, a new thick nose rope was forcefully inserted through the existing hole in the nasal septum. Often the rope was very thick, and pulling it vigorously caused injuries to the nasal septum, which led to profuse bleeding in many animals.

The Supreme Court considered all these arguments and evidences carefully and decided that Jallikattu is violative of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and therefore ruled Jallikattu illegal, along with bull racing in Maharashtra.

Now it is possible that all these are lies and never happen. If you wish to claim that, please also let me know what could possibly be the motive of the AWBI to lie about what they saw? On the other hand, how many of those who are protesting this judgement have actually seen what happens in the vadi vassals? I have not, and am relying on the testimony of the AWBI. I find it difficult to believe that they have lied to the SC.

So, proud Tamilian: Consider what culture you want to preserve. Is this - this culture of cruelty - what you are protesting to keep alive? I am a Tamilian, and I am not proud of this cruel culture. I don't care if it has come down from the Tamil Sangam period. It should be stopped.

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Disclaimer: All the opinions expressed in this article are the opinions of Dr. Seshadri Kumar alone and should not be construed to mean the opinions of any other person or organization, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the article.

Demonetization on Payday: A Photo Essay

Demonetization on Payday: A Photo Essay

Written by Dr. Seshadri Kumar, 03 December, 2016

Copyright © 2016 Dr. Seshadri Kumar.  All Rights Reserved.

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A few days ago, I wrote a blog article talking about why Indian PM Narendra Modi’s widely-discussed “demonetization” plan was a huge mistake, and suggested an alternative. In it, I discussed the fact that India was completely unprepared for the cashless economy that Mr. Modi was trying to force down its throat. That assertion was made on the basis of exhaustive data, such as the number of bank branches in rural India, the number of Indians who had a bank account, and the like. The study made use of an index prepared by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), called the JAM-preparedness index, which measured the extent to which India was prepared for a cashless world, relying on the three main infrastructural legs of the Jan Dhan Yojana bank account (J), Aadhar card (A), and Mobile transactions (M). The RBI report mentioned in that article said that even urban India was nowhere near ready for a cashless world, while rural India was woefully unprepared, with all of rural India deemed less than 5% ready by the government’s own estimate.

However, some friends of mine said I was quoting dry statistics, and wanted to rely more on anecdotes. My response to that objection was and is that large-scale, broad-based statistics are more representative of the truth than isolated anecdotes, and that my earlier article, basing itself as it does on hard evidence, is more representative of the true state of India than a friend’s or a relative’s first-hand account.

Although I still believe this, I thought I would also get some anecdotal evidence on the state of things following Modi’s now infamous demonetization move.

So I decided to do a first-hand sampling of banks and business on the first day of December, 2016, or pay day - most businesses deposit their employees’ salaries in their bank accounts by the first of the month, if not a few days earlier. December 1, 2016, was the first payday in India after Modi’s announcement on November 8, 2016. This was thus the first time many employees needed cash for their main monthly expenses after the demonetization exercise began – for monthly rental payments, food from ration shops, fees for children’s schools, and many other needs which often need to be paid around the first of the month. While many people can take care of these through cheques and debit cards, many are still dependent on cash despite having bank accounts, judging by the number of employees trudging to banks to withdraw cash on payday.

I am currently on vacation in Bengaluru, so I decided to investigate in my local area, viz., Malleshwaram. I walked down Margosa Road from 18^th Cross to 6^th Cross, walked on 6^th Cross to Sampige Road, and walked up on Sampige Road back to 18^th Cross. I chose this route because Margosa Road had most of the banks in Malleshwaram, whereas Sampige Road was the business hub of Malleshwaram. In addition to looking at banks, I also wanted to talk to businesses and find out from them what the impact of demonetization on businesses in this highly urban area had been. Here are the results.

Banks and ATMs

I went to several banks in the area on my expedition, starting at 12.00 noon and ending at 1.30 pm. Some banks had more than one ATM outlet. These are the banks I encountered:

1.     Kotak Mahindra Bank

2.     HDFC Bank

3.     Canara Bank

4.     Bank of India

5.     State Bank of India (SBI)

6.     AXIS Bank

7.     Bandhan Bank

8.    State Bank of Hyderabad

9.     Yes Bank

10. IDBI Bank

11.   IndusInd Bank

12.  ICICI Bank

Most banks did not have working ATMs because of lack of cash. One employee at a HDFC bank told me that they were waiting for the supply of the new Rs. 500 rupee notes and for the ATM machines to be recalibrated for the new notes, which might take a few more days. The only banks that had functional ATMs were State Bank of India, Bank of India (both public sector banks), and IndusInd Bank (a private bank).  The bank employee at HDFC also told me that they were limiting withdrawals to Rs. 8000 because of shortage of cash, even though the government rules allow up to Rs. 24,000. It appears that the bulk of the new currency is going to state-owned banks.

Banks are also managing long lines by innovative ways. The HDFC bank I went to would not let anyone linger near the entrance. The employee there explained that they were issuing tokens for service at 9.30 am, 11.30 am, 1.30 pm, and so on. At these times, the bank would issue a limited number of tokens, and only those fortunate to get these tokens would be served. Thus there were no long lines. Bank of India had a seating area inside, and you could take a token for the specific transaction you were interested in: cash under Rs. 2000, cash between 2000 and 4000, 4000 and 10000, and so on.

The only denomination of currency available at all of the banks I went to was the Rs. 2000 note. Nobody had any other denomination available for withdrawal.

So, out of 18 ATMs that I saw, only 3 were functioning on Payday. All banks were allowing cash withdrawals, but mostly with reduced limits in spite of the government notifications.

Kotak Mahindra Bank ATM. Notice the shutters completely down and the guard outside.

Another Kotak Mahindra ATM, out of service as indicated by the half shutters

A third Kotak ATM. Note again the half shutters

Fourth Kotak ATM, attached to a branch. A guard sits in front of a cashless machine.

A non-functional ICICI bank ATM

Citibank ATM

HDFC ATM. The sign says "ATM out of service"

Another HDFC ATM. The sign on the door says "ATM. No Cash. Out of Service."

YES Bank, but NO cash

AXIS Bank ATM. The ATM is behind the closed shutter on the left.

Bandhan Bank. The ATM is behind the closed shutter on the right.

IDBI Bank. The ATM is behind the guard on the left, shutters half down.

State Bank of Hyderabad. Note the sign that says "No ATM."

IndusInd Bank. The only private bank with a functioning ATM.

State Bank of India (SBI) ATM on Margosa Road

SBI ATM on Sampige Road

Bank of India ATM. The other public sector bank with a functioning ATM.

Business Outlook

While walking up Sampige Road, I had a chance to chat with many shopkeepers and ask them how demonetization had affected them. With a few exceptions, most businesses said things were down in the three weeks following demonetization, with an average drop in business of 50%.

Poorvika Fashions is a store that sells a lot of knick-knacks. The owners were very down on the outlook. I asked them how much current business was relative to a level of 100% before the demonetization. They said business was now at 30% - a drop of 70%!!! Most people pay cash at their store, and cash is hard to come by.

Poorvika Fashions, whose sales are down by 70%

All decked up and waiting for customers...

Business is down 60% at this photo frame shop

The owner of this store was very glum as he told me tbat business was down 50%

Prateek Arts and Crafts is a shop specializing in carved wood. They sell a lot of mandaps for home worship. The owner told me that normally, they sell 4-5 pieces in a week. Since the demonetization has happened, they haven’t sold a single piece. “Not even Rs. 100 worth of stuff,” said the owner. I asked him whether he has managed to pay the craftsmen who work in his factory and make these art pieces. He said that so far they have managed to scramble cash from different places to pay them, but he hopes things will improve soon.

The owner of Prateek Arts and Crafts has tons of time to kill as business has completely vanished since November 8

This well-known sports and toys store on Sampige Road has seen business drop by half since November 8

This travel agency is one of the luckier businesses - says business is only down by 25%

There were a few shopkeepers who were not so perturbed by the move to demonetize. One of them was a BATA showroom, who said they had seen no difference in business. Another was a small clothing store selling mostly salwar kameezes. 

The third was the owner of an imitation jewellery store, Sri Lalithambike, who specializes in one gram gold jewellery. The owner is a Gujarati transplant who said that there had been no difference in his business. He said he had seen a dip on November 9^th and 10^th, because people were confused about the new state of things, but then things picked up. He was even happy to pose for a picture. We had a nice chat, and he asked me to point out in my article one potential problem that he had thought of, and I said I would.

He pointed out that he had been using digital technology for a long time now, and even he was recently fooled by scamsters who managed to get him to pay for something through PayTM. He told me that if this could happen to a net-literate person like him, imagine the plight of those who are suddenly moving to technologies like email, internet banking, and PayTM – they could easily lose their life savings to scam artists.

I also talked to the owner of a Kirana store who did not want him or his store to be photographed, but told me business was down by 50%. He said the shortage of cash was the main culprit. He said some people try to give him a Rs. 2000 note to pay for a Rs. 200 bill. He cannot accept that as he does not have enough Rs. 100 notes in change. He said he does sell goods on credit to some customers – but only to regulars. I told him I was from Pune, and some shopkeepers there make use of a black market where you give Rs. 500 and get four Rs. 100 notes in return – was he aware of such schemes? He said no, he had not heard of it in Bengaluru.

The owner of Sri Lalithambike, posing in front of his shop

Overall, businesses have lost a lot in the last 3 weeks and, unless liquidity returns soon in the form of Rs. 100 and Rs. 500 notes, could stand to lose a lot more.

Concluding Thoughts

My 1.5 hour stroll in one of the busiest business areas in Bengaluru showed me that banks are still not functioning anywhere close to normal, three weeks after the demonetization announcement. Out of 18 ATMs that I saw, only 3 were functional, and this was on Payday. Most banks were not allowing withdrawals up to the maximum allowable limit specified by the government because they had no cash. This will doubtless cause more hardship to the already suffering public.

My conversations with most business owners told me that, on average, most had suffered a 50% drop in business in the last 3 weeks. One just needs to imagine what the nationwide impact of a 50% drop in business for 3 weeks will be – and what the impact on the GDP will be if this were to continue for months.

Business down by 50%. Only 3 out of 18 ATMs working. 

If this is the state of things in a busy shopping area in Bengaluru, one of the biggest cities in India, and an IT hub to boot, just imagine the state of things in a rural area where most people do not have bank accounts and where internet penetration is very poor.

The worst is yet to come.

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Disclaimer: All the opinions expressed in this article are the opinions of Dr. Seshadri Kumar alone and should not be construed to mean the opinions of any other person or organization, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the article.

For more articles by Dr. Seshadri Kumar, please visit http://www.leftbrainwave.com