Calcutta, Sept. 22 :    Calcutta, Sept. 22:  To whip or not to whip is the question raging on race courses around the country. Firebrand animal activist and Union minister Maneka Gandhi has issued an ultimatum on banishing the whip from horse racing. At a meeting with representatives of Turf Authorities of India and jockey associations in Bangalore on September 12, Maneka set October 3 as the 'firm' deadline for discontinuing use of the whip. Citing Section 11 (1) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, she told representatives of the Rs 800-crore racing business that use of the whip amounts to 'hurting' the animal. The animal welfare division is under Maneka's ministry. The ministerial diktat has left the sport with two options: ban the whip immediately, or phase it out over two years and use Aircush (a bulbous rubberised alternative which was rejected by jockeys when introduced on an experimental basis) whips in the interim. Even as the turf clubs sought more time - 'at least till end-October' - Maneka insisted on a response by October 3. The clubs will meet in Hyderabad on October 1 to decide what to do. 'We respect the minister's concern for animals, especially race horses which are our bread and butter. However, we have already written to her that stringent rules have already been formulated to prevent misuse of the whip,' said Vineet Verma, CEO, Royal Calcutta Turf Club. Turf Authorities of India issued a code of conduct in November 1999 for the use of the whip so that horses are not 'abused'. Some of the rules are showing the horse the whip and giving it time to respond before hitting it; using the whip in the backhand position for a reminder; and using the whip in rhythm with the horse's stride and close to its side. The whip has two functions - to goad the horse into greater effort and to help it maintain a straight course during a race. Some horses have a tendency to 'hang in' or 'hang out' - veer towards or away from the rails. In such a case, a swish of the whip on the side towards which the head is turned encourages it to turn its head away, thereby correcting its course. Veering off course can lead to a serious mishap. A decade ago, the RCTC saw a ghastly accident when a thorougbred deviated and toppled over the rails, injuring the jockey and chopping off the forearm of a bystander. Says P.P. Ginwala, ex-steward, RCTC and legal practitioner: 'Under the PCA Act, merely beating an animal is not an offence. It is only an offence if it is beaten in such a way as to cause it any significant pain or suffering. A little flick of the whip properly used by a jockey does not cause it any significant pain or suffering. It is merely a signal that a greater effort is required of the animal.' If the minister's intentions are carried to the extreme conclusion, it would mean bare-back riding without any reins or stirrups or any other means of assistance, Ginwala said. But the animal welfare division seems in no mood to relent. S.K. Verma, deputy secretary in the ministry, said: 'Section 38 of the PCA Act allows us to prevent unnecessary pain and suffering to animals. You can't just beat an animal for the purpose of entertainment.' Horse-racing fetches Central and state exchequers Rs 50 crore in taxes every year. The whip of a professional jockey is classified as a 'tool of his trade', and a blanket withdrawal, if enforced by the Turf Authorities of India, is likely to be challenged in a court of law, said a Bangalore race course official. 'The whip is used as a magic wand to scare the horse and not to punish it. A tap on the two leather tongs attached to the low end of the whip has the sound effect of a mini-cracker to goad a sluggish horse to run to his merits,' said jockey-turned trainer John Stephens. Retired jockey James Reuben would like to add a qualification, though. 'If the whip is used to punish the horse to perform better, the ban on it is welcome. Horses need not be belted, gentle taps are as effective as hard hitting,' he said. Checks on jockeys are already in place. Anyone flouting the guidelines is fined and even suspended, depending on the nature of the offence. 'Our doctors look out for the tell-tale welts on the horse's body after the races,' said RCTC's Verma.