A bullock cart procession held ahead of the Nava Kerala Sadas in Kumily Town in Idukki sparked tense moments as bullocks, ruffled by the traffic on the busy Kottarakkara-Dindigul NH lying on the Sabarimala route, ran amok among the public damaging two vehicles.
According to the Kumily police, the incident took place around 10 a.m. on Friday. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) CPI(M) and other farmers groups had arranged a bullock cart procession ahead of the Navakerala Sadas at Peermade Assembly constituency. As many as six carts brought from Theni in Tamil Nadu were used in the parade, each cart being steered by two handlers. The parade began from the First Mile town and moved to Kumily, where the traffic was in full swing owing to the Sabarimala season. The handlers reportedly tried to speed the animals that got agitated by the teeming traffic, and ran amok.
The handlers lost control of the carts when they reached Central Junction near Kumily bus stand, and one of the speeding carts hit a vehicle coming from the opposite side. One of the cartwheels came off, yet the bullocks kept running dragging the cart on the other wheel. The busy highway was in chaos with people moving away sensing danger. Later, after much effort, the carts were brought to a halt.
Kumily Station House Officer (SHO) Jobin Antony said the police had not registered a case so far. “The police have not received any individual complaints relating to the incident. The organisers did not collect permission for the bullock cart race,” said the official.
According to police sources, the organisers announced that it was a bullock cart parade, which was turned into a race by the handlers.
M.N. Jayachandran, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) district secretary, said the organisers violated the Supreme Court order banning bullock cart race. “ I will submit a complaint to the Idukki district police chief, District Collector, and Additional District Magistrate (ADM), demanding action against the organisers. If the police and district administration fail to take action, I will file a contempt of court case against the officials and organisers who violated the SC order,” said Mr Jayachandran.
Congress Kumily Mandalam committee said they would file a complaint with the District Collector and Idukki district police chief demanding a case against the organisers.
