Jallikattu - #SaveIndigenousBreed

My 390G hit a huge bump in the road and a lot has changed since my last post, but everything is for the best!

The topic this time is Jallikattu, an age-old, traditional bull-taming sport conducted every year during the Pongal festival. In simple words, it is a celebration of thanksgiving for farmers and their livestock. Recently, several animal welfare organizations have tried to ban this sport in the name of animal cruelty. There are many rumors that animal welfare is not the only motive, and that the ban is directly related to a geo-economic conspiracy to halt native A2 milk production in favor of artificial insemination. While I cannot verify those theories, I wholeheartedly support Jallikattu for one simple reason: we must save our indigenous breeds.





I began supporting Jallikattu to stand up for the very traditions that protect our native cattle. In Tamil Nadu alone, we have numerous recognized cattle breeds, including the Pulikulam, Bargur, Thenni Malai, and Kangayam, alongside several other unlisted country breeds. Stopping the very practices that motivate people to carefully breed and maintain this livestock will inevitably endanger them. Some critics might think this argument is just a cooked-up excuse to protest, but to anyone who remains unaware—including myself, until a few years ago—history proves this exact pattern happens.

Look at what happened to our native dog breeds. Tamil Nadu is home to incredible breeds like the Kombai, Rajapalayam, Kanni, Chippiparai, Ramnad Dog, and the Alangu Mastiff. Enthusiasts have barely managed to revive the Kanni, Chippiparai, and Rajapalayam from near extinction. Tragically, the Alangu Mastiff is already extinct, the Ramnad Dog is incredibly rare, and finding a Kombai with original, pure traits is nearly impossible. Thankfully, dedicated breed enthusiasts have started revival foundations and social media groups to bring the Kombai back, and they have my utmost respect.

One of the primary reasons the Kombai became endangered was the massive influx of imported foreign dog breeds. However, the turning point that stopped careful breeding was the hunting ban in the late 1980s. Do I support banning hunting? Absolutely. But we failed to realize what else would be affected by it, and we lacked the means to protect the breed. Thanks to social media, we can finally amplify our voices for Jallikattu today and actually take action.

Back in the day, hunting grounds provided the only real opportunity for owners to breed Kombai dogs across different, healthy bloodlines. When hunting stopped in the 1980s—an era when travel and long-distance communication were incredibly difficult—owners lost the opportunity to cross-breed. The motivation faded, and excessive inbreeding severely damaged the lineage.

Thank God we do not have dog slaughterhouses or meat exports in India, which means there is still a lingering hope to revive these dogs. When it comes to cattle, however, we do not have that luxury. If you ban the one cultural tradition that motivates communities to raise the strongest, healthiest bulls, then two decades from now you can kiss our indigenous cattle breeds goodbye.

I refuse to watch that happen. Does Jallikattu need to be regulated with strict safety rules? Yes, absolutely. But it cannot be stopped.

I support Jallikattu.…#ISupportJallikattu