Protests over a ban on a bull-taming festival, which has been blighted by allegations that the beasts are doped with liquor and then taunted with chilli powder, spread across Tamil Nadu yesterday.
Demonstrators, mostly students, thronged the busy Marina Beach area in Chennai to demand the lifting of the ban on the traditional Jallikattu event which is held during the winter harvest festival of Pongal.
“We are protesting against the ban and demand that it should be immediately lifted. We are here in support of preserving the culture of Tamils,” said Selva Kumar, a student leader at the protest site.
The protesters in Chennai, who began gathering on Tuesday night, say they will camp out until the authorities announce that the event will be allowed in future.
The support for the protesters is growing with students of SRM University in Chennai announcing their decision to hold demonstrations outside their institution.
Similarly, protests have been gaining strength at several other places in the state. Lawyers in Namakkal district have announced boycott of courts.
The demonstration began after the news of the arrest of Jallikattu protesters in Alanganallur town of Madurai district.
Despite police disconnecting the power supply at Marina Beach, the protest continued with mobile phone lights in the night.
The Supreme Court outlawed Jallilkatu last year after a plea by animal rights groups which have long argued that the event – held every year in different parts of Tamil Nadu – is cruel.
Unlike in traditional Spanish bullfighting, the animals are let loose into open fields and young men then compete to subdue them bare-handed.
Critics say organisers lace the bulls’ feed with liquor to make them less steady on their feet and chuck chilli powder into their faces to throw them into a sudden frenzy as they are released from a holding pen.
The rights group Peta has released footage it says shows bull farmers doping their animals ahead of the event.
But organisers of the festival insist the animals suffer no harm and Jallilkatu is an established part of Tamil culture.
Tensions have been escalating for the last week after hundreds of people were detained by police for allegedly organising local Jallikatu contests in defiance of the court ban.
Police say the protests have remained peaceful so far but have spread to large parts of the state.
Several popular Tamil film stars have voiced their support for the demonstrators as has India’s leading spin bowler Ravichandran Ashwin.
“The law was not created to rob people of their tradition and rights but to protect it. Jallikattu is every Tamilian’s identity. Those who are protesting against the ban on Jallikattu are united by the feeling that they are Tamilians but not out of compulsion or political pressure. I bow down to each and everyone of them,” leading actor Vijay said in a video message.
“I’d be really happy if those arrested are released immediately,” he said.
Actor Suriya, in between his promotional tour for his Tamil action film C3, lashed out at Peta.
Actor G V Prakash, singer-lyricist Arunraja Kamaraj and filmmaker Karthik Subbaraj also joined the supporters on Marina Beach on Tuesday.
While Prakash and Arunraja are observing silent protest at Marina Beach Karthik is leading the crowd in Madurai.
Thousands of youth who began their protest in Alanganallur on Monday and they were taken into custody by police.
Angered by the arrests, villagers in Alanganallur came out on the streets.
Opposition and ruling parties in the state have also criticised the ban and want Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government to have it overturned.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader M K Stalin urged Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to meet the protesters and take immediate action for holding the sport.




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