Cruel sportRe: “Right over rights” by G Babu Jayakumar and “If Only the Animal Spoke” by Nanditha Krishna (Jan 14). As a foreign tourist and traveler to India over the last 10 years, it is with enormous disappointment that I read of the reversion to legal status of the Jallikattu, a ‘cultural sport’. This is my first visit to Chennai and TamilNadu (some rural areas), and until reading these articles, I was unaware of this cruel event occurring in your country. From my understanding of general Indian culture and religions, I have always enjoyed the large representation of animals concerning the deities, teachings, temples and intended compassion of this spiritual country and people. The conduct of the Jallikattu, no matter how regulated, is contrary to these fundamental concepts. Many tourists, like myself, find this practice not only incredibly cruel and dangerous, but yet another perversion of human greed and “fun” in the apparent guise of “tradition and culture”. If this is truly considered and officially supported as the tradition and culture of TamilNadu, then I am deeply saddened and repelled. I won’t be visiting this state again while it is permitted! - Kata Blaszak, by email