Justice for Jallikattu: United Tamil Nadu manifests bullish face

While the mass protest in Chennai for the last two days helped to draw the national attention towards the unified effort in favour of Jallikattu, protests in districts reached a fervent phase on the third day and participants stood their ground, refusing to withdraw the agitation until an Ordinance is pronounced in favour the rural sport. Social media played a key role in bringing the youngsters together in such a large-scale, which had earlier been witnessed during civil war in Sri Lanka and anti-Hindi agitation

In yet another form of protest, conduct of jallikattu was witnessed on Wednesday too in a number of villages across the State.

In Tiruchy, Pongal festival churches helped the conduct of the bull-taming sport in Manapparai taluk. Villagers from Avarampatti converged in front of St Ignatius church with as many as 46 bulls for a blessing, after which they were let loose. The youth embraced the bulls and also tried to tame them. Similarly, in Vaiyampatti, as many as 17 bulls participated in the jallikattu. 

In Vadugapatti, a temporary vadivasal-like structure was established and 15 bulls were released through it. In Mela Manjampatti too, the youth tamed the bulls after the latter were blessed in St Antony’s church. In Thanjavur, jallikattu was conducted in Tirukkanoorpatti, in which 20 bulls participated. Meanwhile in Madurai, the epicentre of the ongoing protests, Pasukaranapatti and Kakkiveeranpatti villages near Usilampatti conducted jallikattu without the knowledge of police.

In Pasukaranpatti, people offered special prayers at Sellam Karuppasamy temple and took bulls to a temporary Vadivasal setup in the village. Large number of bull tamers mostly local youths participated in jallikattu and tried to tame the bulls. Simiarly, in Kakkiveeranpatti, people took bulls to Sirupatti Muthiah temple and then to a nearby lake where jallikattu was performed.

Apart from making their demands, protesters for jallikattu were resolute in their stand to stay united on one aspect _ they did not want their masive initiative to be given a political colour. In an unprecedented move, they in fact turned away politicos who came to the protest venues to ‘extend their support’.

Be it in Chennai, Madurai or Tiruchy, the youngsters announced in the mike against politicians appearing at the protest venues. In some place, students protested and even raised slogans against politicians, making it clear that they do not need any political identity to their demands. When NTK leader Seeman visited the protesting site in Madurai on Wednesday, students shouted slogans against him and even threw water packets towards the direction where he was seated. Sensing the mood, he left the place immediately. 

In Tiruchy, where the student organisations from various educational institutions converged in the heart of the city, asked the former Minister and DMK MLA K N Nehru to vacate the place when visited them expressing his solidarity. Interestingly, the protest took place at MGR statue which falls under Nehru’s assembly constituency. Meanwhile, BJP state unit president Tamilisai Soundararajan has claimed that the party has sent representations seeking the ban on PETA and argued that the entity working for animal rights has a hidden agenda. She said that the state unit will meet the Union Environment Minister on Friday with jallikattu enthusiasts.