PACHU MENON
The ruckus on the outskirts of Saligao-Nagoa where attempts to stage a ‘dhirio’ last Sunday early morning was foiled by the police who had to resort to a mild lathi-charge to disburse the crowd is yet another example of an obsession getting the better of prudence.
Similarly, last week there were reports about a bullfight organised in Salcete that nearly cost a youth his life. The youngster is yet to get over the trauma and is convalescing at the Goa Medical College and Hospital.
There have been several such incidents in which, gored by the enraged bulls, people have been maimed for life. Not to speak of the battered and bruised animals.
Dhirio or bullfight is a very popular game in Goa in which two bulls fight one another. The bulls are bred and trained to fight and the game attracts huge crowds.
One of the cruellest forms of entertainment, the bulls pitted against each other are provoked to a state of murderous rage before they lock horns with each other until one remains standing or both are mortally wounded.
The sport, as many would like to call it, is not only abusive to the mute animals but also poses a great threat to public safety. One can well imagine the havoc that can be wreaked by an out-of-control bull on a rampage. People have been grievously injured and many have even lost their lives. Yet the craze continues!
Locals have shown a great fondness for this ‘amusing’ pastime and quite often organisers do manage to stage such shows on the sly. Enthralling enthusiastic audiences across the state, bullfights attract multitudes to the venue.
Goan bullfighting is all about money with owners wagering huge bets on their bulls. The game involves a lot of excitement. The spectators too are allowed to place bets on their favourite bovines.
In 1997, in response to the petition filed by People for Animals (PFA) against dhirio, the Goa bench of the Bombay High Court had banned bullfighting under the provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Later, the special leave petition filed by the state against the ban was dismissed by the apex court. Since then staging of any such event is seen as a crime. Yet the game continues to be hosted on the sly in obscure places and fields. Such is the demand for dhirio in Goa.
In spite of repeated attempts by various legislators and MPs in the course of the last two decades, the game continues to be a forbidden activity. However, attempts by the Goa government to legalise bullfighting as a sport to attract more tourists could yet find favour with the Centre.
The manner in which how politicians have raked up the issue of dhirio and promised its legalisation at election time is an indication of the proclivity the Goans have shown for bullfights all through the years.
Just by taking a grandstand on the matter of bullfights with an eye on reviving the sport in Goa, the state government is only skirting the main issue, which basically remains unaltered even now.
For that matter, even the locals are known to take umbrage against the ‘unusual’ rigidness shown by the administration against the sport.
The contention that dhirio is a traditional entertainment for Goans and that it can transform into a reliable income-generating source for farmers during the off-season may not go down well with those who have all along maintained that ill-treatment of animals needs to be sternly dealt with.
Claiming it to be a cultural legacy of the state, locals are quick to compare it with ‘Jallikattu’ of Tamil Nadu and the more famous ‘Corrida De Toros’ of Spain both of which have all along been accepted as traditions of the respective regions. If these ‘attractions’ can survive the ravages of critical censure over the years, they argue, why should controversies dog the staging of bullfights in Goa?
A sport is defined as some sort of amusement or a diversion from the rigmarole of life. It is appalling though that civilized societies the world over get their kicks by brutalizing animals in so many different ways, all for their amusement and entertainment.
‘Bloodsports’ fascinates mankind even to this day. Scenes of boisterous crowds cheering on a couple of roosters engaged in ‘mortal combat’ betting wagers on a particular one to survive the bloody duel have been immortalized time and again on celluloid screens.
A traditional pastime for people from ancient times, this bloody sport continues to regale people even in the present era. Besides being cruel to animals, cockfighting is closely connected to other crimes lending a touch of criminality to the whole affair.
The Colosseum, the massive stone amphitheatre, an iconic symbol of Rome and its long, tumultuous history, lies in a state of ruin now. A venue of gladiatorial combats and animal fights, the magnificent arena stands mute testimony to the fascination of humans for games and other forms of amusement that involved bloodshed.
The gladiatorial combats for instance! Gladiators were armed combatants who entertained audiences in the Roman Republic in violent confrontations with other fighters, wild animals and condemned criminals. The state-sponsored barbarian combats were popular public spectacles. The ‘thumbs down’ sign condemning to death a defeated gladiator possibly owes its origin from these games.
If brutality and atrocities characterized traditions of yore, with each passing decade, shouldn’t there be concerted efforts to disassociate ourselves from such vile practices once and for all? And what is this cultural autonomy that has suddenly found voice amidst the raging controversy?
As the nation progresses towards a brighter tomorrow, should we be tied down by mores that will only drag us down further into the realms of insanity and barbarism?
