The burning issue of the hour is Jallikattu. With demands for the ban to be lifted over the bull-taming sport growing louder in regions across Tamil Nadu, the protests have spilled onto other states as well as countries.
The Tamil diaspora in Sri Lanka, Britain and Australia have been holding demonstrations against the ban.
Hundreds of UK-based Indian Tamils have also come together to organise a series of protests in favour of the traditional sport this week in London and other cities across the UK.
Leeds, UK
The protest group includes London Tamil Sangam, World Tamil Organisation and British South Indians. They held protests outside the Indian High Commission in London on Tuesday and Wednesday. Protests were also held in Leeds.
“Hundreds have turned up to highlight that Jallikattu is part of our tradition and identity. We are also working on a major hunger-strike this weekend to raise awareness around the issue in the UK. We are expecting over 1,000 people to join that protest,” a spokesperson for the protest group told PTI.
Dublin, Ireland
Agitators in Dublin, Ireland, also came out in support of the sport chanting “We want Jallikattu”.
As well as students in Czech Republic.
Malaysia
Singapore
The chorus for allowing Jallikattu also reverberated through Singapore which has a major Tamil population.
US and Canada
The US gets a new President on Friday with rising dissent and planned protests in many cities against the Trump administrators, but clearly the Tamilian community has its heart and support for people back home.
The ones in sunny California:
Even those in neighbouring Canada:
Australia
A demonstration also took place in Sydney in a bid to support the traditional sport while another peaceful protest was held in Melbourne on Thursday.
“Jallikattu is an ancient and traditional Tamil sport. The (ancient) seals of the Indus Valley civilisation depict it, which is proof that this sport was in vogue more than five, six thousand years ago — why ban it now? It is like taking away a part of our lifestyle,” a protester Thiru Arumugam was quoted as saying by media reports in Sydney.
Mexico
Tamilians in Mexico, too, chimed in their concern.
South Africa
(With inputs from PTI)
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