Indian Indigenous Cattle

A pair of Kangayam bulls speeding at the rekla race in Coimbatore early last year before the race was banned.— File Photo: M. Periyasamy  More than seven months after the Supreme Court banned conducting jallikattu and rekla race, farmers and rekla race organisers of Pollachi and nearby areas are still in wait with the hope that the ban will soon be lifted. Rekla race organisers said that the Kangayam breed that was predominantly used for the race would become extinct in a few months if the ban was not lifted soon. Rekla race organiser V. Senthil Kumar (38) said that contestants from the region used to participate in races in Dharapuram, Udumalpet, Marathukulam, Palani, Palladam, Sulur, Kinathukadavu, Vettaikaranpudur, Anamalai and vice versa. “About 250 carts participate in each race,” he said. S. Prabakran (41) of C. Arthanaripalayam near Pollachi, who has participated in over a hundred races, and organised many, said that about 100 villages in and aroun

Representing the breeders of renowned Kangayam cattle, the Senaapathy Kangayam Cattle Research Foundation (SKCRF) has made a representation to the Prime Minister seeking steps to file a review petition in Supreme Court for lifting the ban on jallikattu . “People who wanted the ban on jallikattu are far removed from the village life and not aware of the importance of jallikattu in maintaining the natural biodiversity of the native livestocks like Kangayam cattle. The sport also provides a bond between cattle and agriculturists,” K. S.M. Karthikeya, a prominent Kangayam cattle conservationist and managing trustee of the SKCRF, told The Hindu . Traditional sport He pointed out that the traditional sport like jallikattu provides an encouragement to the breeders of native livestock species like Kangayam cattle since the sturdy bull of that variety in the respective villages was used for the sport. “Without which, the small scale farmers usually rear cows not the

The competition attractedover 350 categories Majesticity of hundreds of Kangayam bulls and cows was all pervasive on the AET School grounds near Thindal all through Sunday. A carnival like atmosphere was created by enthusiastic farmers who turned up in droves with their well-grown and groomed cattle. Biodiversity While it was a matter of immense pride for the farmers to own the sturdy cattle, they were, in fact, contributing to biodiversity, since the number was fast diminishing in the country, as the statistics provided by the rearers indicate. According to K.S.J. Karthikeya, Managing Trustee, Senaapathy Kangayam Cattle Research Foundation, the number of the particular breed, deemed the mightiest in physical strength and stamina, has come down from 11.7 lakh in 1990 to just about one-tenth the number now. Jointly organised by the Foundation and the Kangayam Cattle Breeding Society, the exhibition- cum-competition under three categories attracted o