Tamil Nadu On The Edge Over Jallikattu, Ordinance Likely

Chennai: Simmering protests in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere in the country are having an impact on the TN administration and are expected to take a decisive turn with Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam promising to promulgate an ordinance to conduct Jallikattu, the ancient bull taming sport.

Needless to say people from all walks of the society including film starts, techies and government employees have expressed their support for conduct of the ancient sport. Protests have been taking place in the city since Monday at the Marina beach against the ban on the popular and ancient bull-taming sport by the Supreme Court.

Tamil Stars Gather For Fast In Support Of Jallikattu

Actors such as Ajith Kumar, Suriya, Karthi and Trisha Krishnan were among the first to gather here for day-long fast organized by Nadigar Sangam - the South Indian Artistes Association - to express solidarity with youngsters protesting against the ban on Jallikattu.

Superstar Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Vijay and double Oscar-winning composer A.R Rahman were also expected to attend. "It would be a silent protest. Nobody will speak a word as they don't want the spotlight to shift on them from youngsters at Marina beach. The fast will continue till 5 pm in the evening," a source from Nadigar Sangam said.

On Friday, all theatres across Tamil Nadu remain closed in support of the movement. "Theatres will only function after 6 p.m. They will remain shut the entire day as it's important that all of us participate and support the cause," a member of Tamil Nadu Theatre Owner Association said.

TN To Promulgate Ordinance To Hold Jallikattu

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Friday said the state government would promulgate an ordinance to conduct Jallikattu, the ancient bull taming sport. Speaking to reporters here, Panneerselvam said he had detailed discussions with constitutional experts on the matter. The Chief Minister said the state government will amend some provisions in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The amendment was drafted on Thursday and sent to the central government on Friday morning. The ordinance would then be forwarded to President Pranab Mukherjee.

Jallikattu Protests Continue Across Tamil Nadu

Massive protests across Tamil Nadu in support of Jallikattu, the bull taming sport, intensified on Friday with traders downing their shutters, taxi, auto-rickshaw and truck operators staying off the roads.

The DMK party has announced to hold protests on rail tracks which prompted the Southern Railway to cancel four trains and partial operation of few others. State government employees have decided to take out a procession while the central government and public sector organisations functioned.

The bank unions have extended their support to the protests. The movie industry has cancelled shooting and theater halls would remain closed on Friday. In some districts schools were also closed. Thousands of youth sat through Thursday night in Chennai's Marina beach hoping for some good news from Chief Minister O.Panneerselvam who expected to arrive here on Friday from Delhi following his meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The common complaint among the protest leaders was that the Supreme Court had insulted Tamil culture by disallowing the traditional sport observed during the harvest festival of Pongal. In Tamil Nadu, the protests began on Tuesday morning following the arrest of protesters in Madurai district's Alanganallur town, well known for conducting the sport.

In Jallikattu, a bull vaulter is expected to hang on to the animal's hump for a stipulated distance or for a minimum of three jumps by the bull. In Madurai large number of youth are continuing their protest in support of the state's ancient sport.

The Supreme Court in May 2014 banned Jallikattu, saying that bulls cannot be used as performing animals including bullock-cart races. Since then, people have been urging the central government to take steps to allow the sport.

TN Demonstrators Demand Jallikattu Before Calling Off Protests

Demonstrators on Friday said they will continue their protests across Tamil Nadu till Jallikattu, the ancient bull taming sport, is held in the state.

The protesting students at Chennai's Marina Beach and also at Madurai categorically declared that they would call off their protest only after it takes place. The protestors refused to heed to the request of senior police officials here to disperse after they read out Panneerselvam's statement.

Normal Life Hit In Pondy In Support Of Jallikattu

Puducherry: Normal life was hit today in Puducherry by the dawn to dusk bandh called by various Tamil outfits and students' organisations in support of holding the banned Jallikattu, to which various political parties, including ruling Congress, have extended support.

All private inter-state and intra-state bus services, autorickshaws and contract carriages kept off the roads. State transport buses operated skeletal services. Vegetable and fish vending stalls, jewellery shops, tea stalls, hotels and other shops and establishments downed shutters. Cinema houses too suspended morning and noon shows.

However medical shops, electricity and water supply was not affected as they were exempt from the bandh, a spokesman of the Joint Action Committee of Tamil outfits and Students Organisations organising the bandh said. Volunteers of various outfits demanding lifting of the ban on Jallikattu took out a procession through the main thoroughfares of the city. Police were deployed in strength at all vantage points.

Barricades were erected around Raj Nivas (office cum residence of the Lt Governor) and traffic was diverted. Ruling Congress and its alliance partner DMK, opposition AIADMK, AINRC, CPI, CPI(M) and several political parties extended support to the bandh.

Tamil Techies In Kochi Protest Against Jallikattu Ban

Kochi: More than 300 information technology professionals from Tamil Nadu on Friday protested at the Infopark campus to demand the ban on Jallikattu be lifted.

Rallying on the main road in front of the Infopark campus, IT professionals and others working in nearby companies holding placards formed a human chain for some time in support of their demand before dispersing. "No court or any government can intervene in this bull-taming sport, which has been part of the Tamil culture for ages. It should go forward...," an IT professional told the media at the spot. Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court agreed not to pronounce its verdict on Jallikattu for a week in the wake of largescale protests in Tamil Nadu against the ban on the bull-taming sport.

Stalin, Kanimozhi Among DMK Leaders Held

Scores of DMK workers, including party's working secretary M K Stalin were on Friday detained for staging rail roko on Jallikattu issue, even as protesters stayed put at Marina beach here and elsewhere in Tamil Nadu notwithstanding the Chief Minister's assurance that an ordinance for conduct of the sport will be issued soon.

Stalin, also Opposition leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly, was detained along with scores of supporters when he staged a rail blockade at suburban Mambalam Railway Station. Other DMK leaders, including party MP Kanimozhi and former union minister Dayanidhi Maran, as also senior leaders, participated in the state-wide rail roko held by the party.

As some traders bodies and unions had given a strike call for today in support of Jallikattu, a large number of shops and business establishments remained shut in the state. A large number of autorickshaws also kept off the roads across Tamil Nadu.

In Nagapattinam 2,000 mechanised fishing boat owners and thousands of country boat owners did not put out sea, extending support to the protesters. In Rameswaram, all shops remained closed and pilgrims had a tough time getting even food in the island.

Following the protests, Southern Railway announced full and partial cancellation of some trains, besides diversion of others. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu asked the protestors not to cause inconvenience to the poor. "Rail is preferred mode of transport for poor, common people. Please don't disrupt traffic, cause inconvenience to those who can't afford other," he said in a tweet.