A small chat with my non Tamil speaking friend gave me a lot insights about what National media has failed to portray the real face of the protests. He started nodding the head and made a comment that startled me. “So it is more of a state’s problem right?” he asked me.

This irked me the most, since rest of the India believes what the national media shows and have no idea what Jallikattu is.

Then I started to give him explanation about why the ban on jallikattu came in the first place and how jallikattu will pave way for foreign companies to make money. This explanation is for him and all the others who think that this fight is only to get back ‘just’ a sport.

Jallikattu is indeed an age old tradition that happens once a year in villages of Madurai and Sivagangai in TamilNadu . The primary aim of the tradition is to segregate the strongest of the bulls. The Bull which is not capable of winning the game of Jallikattu will be chosen for ploughing while the ones which have won the game will be opted for mating with the cows.  The tradition is being followed for more than 2000 years.

The game of Jallikattu will indeed earn a lot of prize money for the bull owners. The farmers who rear the bull exclusively for the game will consider these cattle to be one of their household member. The cost of rearing the bull is also indeed high. But the love for the game and the bulls are much more precious for them than other costs.

The basic question for my friend was what happens if Jallikattu is banned. After the judgement for the ban of the game which came before 3 years, most of the farmers who were rearing the bulls started selling their cattle at very low prices. The bulls were being sent to slaughter houses since the farmers were not able to incur the losses of rearing the bulls, which will then be used only for the purpose of breeding.

If the bulls become extinct then artificial insemination would be the only option to keep the cattle count in check. All the patents and rights for artificial insemination are with foreign companies and they will start making money through that means. We believe many organizations which are fighting Jallikattu in court are being funded from these billion dollar companies.

It is to be noted that India is the leading milk producer of the world. Many lives are dependent on the industry and it is mandatory to keep the cattle count in check.  

For all the national media which questions our tradition, you have not looked into the politics behind the ban and I wish you take this topic in your debates (which obviously is not nearing anywhere near this). Yes, we are fighting for our tradition and our traditional game which in turn will not only save our native cattle breeds but also ensure the nation the supply of some good quality milk.

Talking about the quality of milk will take another big post, so I will explain this briefly. A2 milk is still being produced in some parts of TamilNadu where the native breeds of cattle are still alive. Kaangeyam and Pulikulam have not undergone any mutations so far. Milk produced from the mutated cows are A1 type of milk. Studies across the globe have found that A1 milk is responsible for most of the health related issues in mankind.

A2 milk is at least 4 times costlier than A1 milk and healthy too. No health ailments and digestive problems will result if you consume A2 milk. Companies which produces A1 milk are now on a mission to wipe out the regions that are still capable of producing A2 milk. Yes, you guessed it right. Tamil Nadu is one of the very few regions in the globe capable of producing A2 milk. Thanks to the games like Jallikattu and Rekla race that our native breeds have still not undergone mutation in any manner.

Our fight is not only to bring back our tradition but also to prevent our cattle from becoming extinct. We do not want to lose our identity just because it benefits a billion dollar industry.

And for people who still feel that we will torment bulls during Jallikattu. Please consider again. We celebrate Pongal to thank the nature that assisted us during the crop year. We celebrate Maatu Pongal only to thank the cattle that have helped us during the crop year. Our farmers consider their cattle in par with the nature. Our farmers take care of their livestock like one another member of the household. When our cattle die, we worship them. Do you really think we will be able to torment the bulls just on the game day.

"How could we know all this if the national media hadn't mentioned any of this ? " asked my friend again. Thats why we doubt if we still belong to India, i answered him.

For my non Tamil speaking friends out there, please look into the social media to understand the ground reality in Tamil Nadu rather than watching what is shown in media. If not ask any of the Tamil people in social media who will be ready to answer.