Over 50 Bull Protectors Draped in Red Veils Plead for an End to Bloodshed in Races, Fights, and Jallikattu
Dozens of PETA India supporters, in collaboration with the Aashray Foundation and students from the JD Institute of Fashion Technology, gathered at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi wearing horns and draped in blood-red veils to symbolise the pain and cruelty bulls and other animals are subjected to during spectacles like races, fights, and jallikattu. The activists, led by a demonstrator wearing a striking white skeletal bull mask, carried signs reading, “Stop Bull Bloodshed: End Races, Fights, and Jallikattu,” to call for an end to the violent – and often deadly – events.
“At JD Institute, we shape visionaries who combine creativity with compassion. By joining PETA India in opposing any kind of bullying towards animals, our students demonstrate that true artistry goes beyond aesthetics to uplift humanity and advocate for ethical causes. We nurture changemakers who stand for what’s right, blending innovation with empathy. For us, fashion is about wearing values proudly and making a positive impact. We are proud to support PETA India’s mission and remain committed to advocating for a kinder world.”
– Rupal Dalal, the managing director of JD Image Promotions (the parent company of the JD Institute of Fashion Technology)
As prey animals, bulls are inherently nervous and afraid of predation, so those who use them for races, fights, and jallikattu incite them to run by causing them pain and fear. PETA India has documented that bulls (including buffaloes) who are used for races and fights are hit with sticks and their tailbones are deliberately twisted and broken by participants. PETA India has also gathered video evidence over many years showing that bulls are forced into jallikattu arenas by being jabbed with sickles or nail-tipped sticks, yanked by nose ropes, or bitten on their tail.
In 2014, the Supreme Court passed a detailed and well-reasoned judgment in Animal Welfare Board of India vs A Nagaraja & Ors that holding jallikattu and other bull performances would be in violation of the rights guaranteed to animals under the Constitution of India and The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. However, after this judgment was passed, beginning in 2017, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra amended animal protection laws for their states to allow jallikattu, kambala, and bullock cart races, respectively. On 18 May 2023, a constitution bench of the Supreme Court also enabled these events to continue in these states.
Most recently, the Supreme Court agreed to consider an e-mail petition filed by PETA India and other animal rights entities requesting that petitions from these groups and those of others seeking a reversal of the 18 May 2023 judgment be urgently reviewed.
Since 2017, at least 42 bulls and 126 humans, including children, have died at jallikattu events. Bulls and humans have also been severely hurt or killed at other events using bulls. Since 2017, there has been an increase in attempts to hold other events that abuse animals throughout the country, such as fox jallikattu, buffalo- and bullfighting, bulbul fighting, cockfighting, and dogfighting.
