Thousands of people protesting at the Marina beach in Chennai on Jallikattu ban.
Hundreds of Tamilians in Mumbai Thursday held protests against the ban on Jallikattu and warned of launching hunger strikes if the government did not lift the restrictions. With Chennai's Marina Beach as the nerve-centre, protests are going across the country and pockets with Tamil population in the world against the ban. In Mumbai, Tamilians wearing black clothes gathered and raised slogans against the ban in the western suburb of Kandivali led by Tamilar Protector Movement, its Maharashtra Secretary, TR Bhagyaraj, said.
As the festival with tradition of thousands of years, Tamil people organised the Jallikattu event as a token protest and also took out a small procession, he said.
Similar protests and processions were held at least in two more Tamil pockets-- Dharavi at Kamrajnagar and Chembur in last two days.
At Ambernath in neighbouring Thane district, workers of Naam Tamilar Katchi organised a protest, in which about 200 people had joined. The march started from Swami Nagar in the afternoon and ended near the municipal council building. They also raised slogans against PETA and appealed to lift the ban.
Shankar Venkateshan, a local adviser of Naam Tamilar Party in Ambernath said that they will protest till the ban is lifted.
"We will give formal requests to government machinery by visiting district collector office next week and after proper permissions from police and civic body, we will also launch a hunger strike as well," Mr Venkateshan told PTI.
"We are not hurting the bulls, we love them like our children. They are part of our culture and we play with them on the day of Pongal not hurting them. Government must listen our plea," he said.
Similar protests were also held in Pune, he added.