Thousands are protesting across Tamil Nadu in support of Jallikattu (PTI photo)
Thousands are protesting across Tamil Nadu in support of bull-taming sport Jallikattu and demanding ban on animal rights group People for Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA. The protests, mostly by students and techies, entered second day on Wednesday. Nearly 3,000 thousand students are protesting at Chennai's Marina beach since last night.
The demonstrations began on Tuesday morning after the news of the arrest of Jallikattu protesters in Alanganallur town of Madurai district spread in Chennai.
The support for the protesters is growing with many actors and politician coming out in support of Jallikattu.
"Law was not created to rob people off 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," said actor Vijay in a video message.
Actor Surya, in between his promotional tour for upcoming Tamil action "C3", lashed out at animal rights advocacy group PETA, which is aggressively campaigning against Jallikattu.
Tamil Nadu Ministers Jayakumar and Ma Foi Pandiarajan met representatives of protesters and assured them that they will approach the centre to issue an executive order (on Jallikattu). "We would echo the public sentiment in Tamil Nadu to the central government," Mr Pandiarajan said. However protesters want to meet Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
"Tamil Nadu government is commited to Jallikattu", Sports Minister Pandiarajan told NDTV.
P Manjunath, a class XI student, says, "Jallikattu is a 500 year old tradition. The court has to lift the ban."
"There's no cruelty for bulls. Courts are for people. It is our right to protest, it's not illegal to protest for banned Jallikattu," says J Rajesh, an IT professional.
Senior cops say a few fringe political groups are also behind these protests and mobilising crowd via social media.
Jallikattu, also referred to as Eruthazhuvuthal locally, is practiced in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations.
The Supreme Court has imposed a ban on the practice currently, citing animal welfare issues. Jallikattu has remained banned for the last three years.
Animal rights activists had appealed against the centuries-old tradition in the Supreme Court citing atrocities to the bulls as a reason. Advocate and Animal Rights Activist, Rudra Krishna says, "you basically see bulls having tails bitten, being stabbed with sickles, agitated, stuff rubbed into their eyes with twenty people jumping on him."Jallikattu has remained banned for three years.
Recently, a war of words had broken out between DMK Working President MK Stalin and animal rights non-profit PETA over the Jallikattu issue, with the leader calling the animal rights NGO as "anti-national" and the group calling the criticism "cheap and ineffective."
Over the last few days, protesters held Jallikattu, defying Supreme Court's order. Scores of people have been arrested across the state.
Police are hopeful the protests would lose steam from Wednesday once educational institutions and tech companies resume work after the extended five-day weekend.
(with inputs from agencies)