Over 3,000 people, including students and techies, are protesting at Chennai's Marina beach since January 17. They demanded to lift the ban on bull-taming festival Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu and on animal rights organisation People for Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA.
As protests continued, ministers Jayakumar and Ma Foi Pandiarajan met representatives of protesters. They 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 wanted to meet Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.
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.
The protest also took place at Alanganallur in Madurai district, where around 200 people were arrested on Tuesday morning.
Senior cops said, "few political groups are also behind these protests and mobilising crowd via social media."
Jallikattu, is also referred to as Eruthazhuvuthal locally, is practised in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations.
The Supreme Court imposed a ban on the game as they felt that animals are being tortured in the name of game. Jallikattu was banned for the last three years.
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 in Chittoor district!
BY M. DIVYA SRI
