Jallikattu agitation in Tamil Nadu has been hijacked by anti-national and anti-social elements. This was confirmed by various law and order enforcing agencies monitoring the pattern of the agitation.
Despite the decision by the Centre and the Tamil Nadu Government to walk the extra mile to promulgate an Ordinance for the smooth conduct of Jallikattu, the people agitating since Wednesday for the lifting of the Supreme Court ban on the rural sport were not relenting to disperse from the venues from where they are staging the sit-in protests.
Along with placards featuring the pictures of bulls, the larger than life pictures of Osama bin laden, Palani Baba (the founder of Al Umma) and V Prabhakaran were exhibited on Sunday by the crowd at Marina Beach and elsewhere in the State.
This has become an anti-India agitation as the slogans raised by the crowd has nothing to do with the resuming of Jallikattu. The agitation has been hijacked by anti-national elements,” said a senior intelligence official who declined to part with names of the organisations.
Chief Minister O Panneerselvam who travelled to Madurai on Sunday morning to inaugurate Jallikattu at Alanganallur, the traditional bastion of the rural sports, had to make a hasty retreat as the demonstrators had declared a ‘road roko’ to prevent him from reaching the venue.
“We have taken all measures to conduct the Jallikattu because of the cooperation extended by the Central Government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have also decided to enact a legislation to ensure the trouble-free conducting of Jallikattu when the assembly meets from Monday,” said the Chief Minister while speaking to journalists at Madurai.
People staging the protest at Marina Beach said the Ordinance is only a temporary answer and they would call off the agitation only after the Centre brings in a permanent law to safeguard the sport. SP Velumani, Tamil Nadu Minister for local administration who went to Coimbatore to inaugurate the Rekla (bullock cart race) was blocked by hundreds of demonstrators who wanted a permanent arrangement to safeguard Jallikattu.
Prakash Swamy, veteran commentator expressed his fear that the movement was fast turning out to be secessionist in nature. “The agitation which started peacefully has slipped into the hands of
anti-national forces, JNU crowd, Islamic fundamentalists, Maoists, lTTE elements and pan Tamil rabid separatists was evident from vulgar cheap acts like carrying the coffins of Indian Prime Minister and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. If the State Government fails to stop this blockade, the Prime Minister should intervene with an iron hand to restore normalcy,” said Swamy.
BR Haran, writer and political commentator, said he was shocked by the volte face by the protestors. “The continuance of the protests even after the passage of ordinance will only confirm the reports that the genuine Jallikattu movement has been hijacked by vested interests and anti-national elements. Such elements have infiltrated and banners are seen and slogans are heard against the central and state government and favouring Tamil Eelam and Separate Tamil Nadu,” said Haran.
Jallikattu held at Manapparai in Tiruchirappalli and which was telecast live by Tamil channels showed the unregulated attitude of men towards animals. Though the rules are against the players holding the tail or horns of the bulls, the live pictures showed how people openly violated the stringent rules to upset the animals.