A visit to the circus is memorable for most of us until we grow up and realise that the animals were not having fun. Transported in box cars with no climate control, they sleep, eat and defecate in confinement. Their trainers use extreme disciplinary methods such as whipping, hitting and poking.

In Jalikattu, the traditional bull-fighting festival of Tamil Nadu, the bulls are struck with sticks, chillies are poured into their eyes, and their tails are twisted. Once they are in excruciating pain, the bulls bolt and men chase them – all for the entertainment of people

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After a long legal battle by animal rights activists, last year in September, the Supreme Court prohibited the use of bulls in Jallikattu festivals. But that did not stop the organisers from going ahead with the tradition on the eve of Pongal last year.

Not just during festivals, animals are also mistreated in the course of sporting tournaments. In Jaipur in Rajasthan, players use elephants instead of horses in traditional polo games. Animal activists allege the elephants are trained through harsh means including being poked with metal rods and hooks. Elephant polo was invented in India in the early 1900s and two Britons went on to form The World Elephant Polo Association in 1982, which holds three international tournaments every year, including world championships in Nepal.

The Wild Life Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre and other animal welfare organisations have asked the Supreme Court to intervene against such cruel practices. So far, they have wrested an interim order in which the court has said that the owners of animals could be convicted for contempt of court if they were found to have been cruel to them but soon, that could be nullified. Environment minister Prakash Javadekar had recently spoken about the possibility of amending the law to allow performance of animals like elephants in religious functions and bullocks in traditional rural sporting events.