Sir — like Jantar Mantar in the national capital, which was at the height of agitation for the Jan lokpal Bill in 2011, Marina beach in Chennai is currently the meeting point of many minds. They all seem to concur on one thing — that Tamil identity is under threat. One wonders which wind is blowing in the south of the Vindhyas that makes even law-abiding role models wade into what essentially is a sub judice matterIJ
Apart from students and celebrities, Tamil lawyers in the Supreme Court have taken out a march from Mandi House to Jantar Mantar, raising slogans against People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the ban on Jallikattu. I understand, the Jallikattu stir has also spread to Sri lanka, the UK and Australia.
However, some have challenged the notions of ‘culture’ and ‘pride’, suggesting that these are easy labels that mask alleged cattiest undertones that accompany the sport. They cite how the powerful OBC Thevars dominate the sport, while Dalits largely kept away. But the protesting youngsters and their backers are unaware that the apex court’s ire is not exclusively against Jallikattu.