The uncertainty associated with the conducting of Jallikattu, the rural sport of bull taming, has led to an ugly situation with all leading political parties in Tamil Nadu coming out in the open against the BJP-led NDA Government at the Centre. The Congress and the DMK have succeeded in directing the ire of the masses towards the BJP-led Government at the Centre though the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu was based on the affidavit submitted by the UPA Government led by Manmohan Singh.
Thousands of youth including college students across the State came out in the open on Thursday shouting slogans against the Narendra Modi Government and the BJP for its indifference towards the ban on Jallikattu. “This is a spontaneous arising of students. There were no leaders to lead them but the youth took to the streets on their own. This is a strange phenomenon as this is the first time in recent history a demonstration of this kind is happening in the State,” said GK Nagaraj, president, Kongunadu Jananayaga Katchi, who is a prominent educationist in south west Tamil Nadu.
Tamil nationalist parties like the DMK, MDMK, DMDK, PMK and the Tamil separatist entities like Dravida Kazhakam led by K Veeramani and Naam Tamizhar led by Seeman Francis have seen this as an ideal opportunity to arouse anti-Hindi sentiments all over Tamil Nadu. MK Stalin, the DMK working president, had exhorted his cadre to stage protests all over Tamil Nadu to oppose the move by the BJP to saffronise Tamil Nadu by not allowing the Jallikattu to happen in the State.
“The common man is not aware of the fact that Jallikkattu was banned by the Supreme Court following the affidavit prepared and submitted during the tenure of the Congress at the Centre. The DMK and the Congress have succeeded in creating an impression that the ban on Jallikkattu is a handiwork of the Modi government,” said Nagaraj. He also pointed out that there is a possibility of a Centre-State stand off in the name of Jallikattu.
Though Jayanthi Natarajan, the former Union Minister for environment during the UPA regime squarely had blamed Jayarama Ramesh, her successor in the Ministry for the ban on Jallikkattu, the people of Tamil Nadu are yet to understand it. The media in Tamil Nadu played down the statement by Natarajan.
There was expectation among the people that the ban on Jallikattu may be lifted in the last hours to Pongal (which falls on Saturday) and preparations were underway all over Tamil Nadu for conducting the traditional sport. But the announcement by the apex court that it would not be able to take up the matter before Pongal dampened the spirit of the people.
“Whether there is court ban or not, we will have Jallikattu on all days during the Pongal festivities,” said a group of farmers at Tirupur, a south west district. Villages in Madurai and Torupur are ready with the infrastructure to host the sport. “Whoever prepared the affidavit that was given to the SC has done it with ulterior motives. Either they are ignorant about the true sport or they want to finish off the Indian native bulls,” said Jayakumar who owns half-a-dozen Kangeyam bulls.