Stir over jallikattu continues in TN -Governance Now

Stir over jallikattu continues in TN

Draft ordinance seeking amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act has been sent to MHA, says chief minister O Panneerselvam

Shivani Chaturvedi | January 20, 2017 | Chennai

#MHA #supreme court #Tamil Nadu #jallikattu

Protesters at Marina beach

Thousands of youth continue to gather at Chennai’s Marina beach in support of jallikattu, a traditional bull taming sport, in Tamil Nadu.

So far which looked like a students’ movement, is emerging as a mass movement including professionals. People from all sections are coming out in support of jallikattu. Agitation seems to be growing with every passing day. “We have come out to the streets to safeguard our culture,” says Dinesh, an IT professional who joined the protest after office hours.

Dinesh with another protester in support of jallikattu

Professor Ramu Manivannan, who teaches at Madras University says, “[The protest] is a manifestation of the anger against the centre and state government on several issues including Cauvery waters. Though it youth centric, it is no longer a students’ movement. Old and young are equally taking their anger to the streets.”

“We have asked political parties to keep away from the issue since they would try to take political gains from it,” says Selvaraj, a student. DMK workers held a ‘rail roko’ protest earlier in the day. MK Stalin, party leader, was taken into preventive custody for a brief period for halting a train during the party’s state-wide railway block, before being released. Auto-rickshaws with attached black flags saying “we want jallikattu” were seen on the streets all day.

In order to prevent further unrest in the state, supreme court has agreed to not pass any interim order for a week on jallikattu. Attorney general Mukul Rohatgi had mentioned before the CJI court that jallikattu judgment should be deferred till next week as union and state governments are trying to solve the issue.

A Marx writer and activist who participated in the agitation, says, “It is also turning out to be a movement against the centre and prime minister Narendra Modi. In Puducherry at least five effigies of Modi were burnt by people supporting jallikattu”.

Earlier in the day, Tamil Nadu chief minister O Panneerselvam had said that a draft ordinance seeking an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 has been sent to the ministry of home affairs (MHA), urging protesters to withdraw from Marina beach. “Tamil Nadu government has sent a draft of the amendment to MHA this morning. I believe draft will be approved in one or two days which will pave the way for jallikattu,” said Panneerselvam to news agencies.

Protesters near harbour custom house, Chennai

Comments

Other News

BRICS at 20: From economic weight to global influence

This year marks 20 years of BRICS, with India set to host the grouping’s leaders’ summit this weekend. The anniversary offers an opportune moment to assess BRICS’ growing importance at a time when the effectiveness of global governance and the credibility of multilateralism are under in

Former president Ram Nath Kovind on some of his unforgettable journeys

Triumph of the Indian Republic: My Life, My Struggles By Ram Nath Kovind Rupa Publications, 400 pages, Rs 795 All our presidents so far stand out, each for a different reason. Ram Nath Kovind, the 14th president of India, from 2017 t

Uday Kotak on history, Indian economy, growth and more

Pathbreakers: How 10 Visionary Leaders Transformed India by award-winning journalists By Sucheta Dalal and Debashis Basu Rupa Publications, 304 pages, Rs 695

₹5,000 crore saved from suspected financial fraud

In a significant gain for citizen protection in the digital economy, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has helped prevent suspected cyber fraud losses of more than ₹5,000 crore through its Financial Fraud Risk Indicator (FRI) within fifteen months of its launch on May 22, 2025. This money did

Capital acquisition proposals worth Rs 1.10 lakh crore for defence forces cleared

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), under the chairmanship of Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh, on Monday accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), that is, in-principle administrative approval to various acquisition proposals of the defence forces at an estimated cost of about Rs 1,10,000 crore.

How Rafi, Raj Kapoor helped pave the way for a great uranium deal

There`s a certain moment in diplomacy that`s too personal to be captured in a communiqué, too small to make the front page, but more revealing than the front page. This week, prime minister Narendra Modi reached Tashkent and, amid the pomp of state visits, managed to evoke the old Bollywood tunes