Two Die In Indian Bullfight
Two men have been gored to death in a bull-wrestling festival, as a fierce debate rages over the controversial sport.
Dozens were also injured during the event, in Rapoosal, in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
The sport, known as jallikattu, was banned by India’s Supreme Court in 2014.
But on Saturday the central government temporarily lifted the ban after large-scale protests.
Several villages and towns in Tamil Nadu then held events on Sunday attracting huge crowds.
Subduing angry bulls has long been practised in the state as a sport and is a key part of the harvest festival.
The court had banned jallikattu on the grounds that it was cruel to animals.
Animal rights activists say the spectacle causes unnecessary stress to the bulls who are released into a crowd and forced to fend off people trying to ride them.
Many in Tamil Nadu, however, are against the ban as they see jallikattu as an important part of their cultural heritage, and also say it ensures the preservation of native breeds of bulls.
In recent days large demonstrations have been staged in the state capital Chennai (Madras) calling for the practice to be fully re-legalised.
Most ministers in the state government including Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, as well as Tamil celebrities such as Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman, support jallikattu.
