Traffic came to a halt for over six hours on the Chennai-Bengaluru national highway on Thursday, 2 February following protests by Tamil Nadu villagers to conduct a Jallikattu event.
Jallikattu is the traditional bull taming sport of the state, held during the harvest festival of Pongal in the Tamil month of Thai.
What happened? Hundreds of people from Gobasandiram village in Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri gathered on the highway and blocked traffic. They were miffed with the district administration for not giving permission to conduct Jallikattu. The district collector had consulted with government departments including fire safety and rescue and police, and based on their evaluation, hadn't sanctioned the event.
Any damage? Tensions began to escalate and the locals allegedly resorted to pelting stones. Sources in the police department said that the villagers pelted stones on at least 10 buses and five police vehicles. Police fired tear gas shells at the mob and resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
Police fired tear gas shells at the mob.
(Image: Accessed by The Quint)
What action was taken? Krishnagiri district sub-collector and senior police officials initiated peace talks with the locals and the situation was brought under control. Meanwhile, District Collector Jayachandra Bhanu Reddy sanctioned permission to conduct Jallikattu.
Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
(Image: Accessed by The Quint)
Police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.
(Image: Accessed by The Quint)
What is Jallikattu? The word is the colloquial interpretation of the Tamil word ‘Sallikkattu’ – 'Salli' means coins and 'Kattu' is the string bag that’s popular in villages in south India. It refers to the bag of coins tied to the horns of the bull, which contestants have to get hold of. Bulls are allowed to run from the ‘Vaadivaasal,’ an opening through the passageway, and contestants try to hold on to them from the flanks.
Jallikattu has been a part of Pongal festivities for centuries now.
(Image: PTI)
Earlier attempts to ban: For two decades, there have been repeated efforts to ban the sport due to complaints of cruelty against the animals. Between 2008 and 2014, 43 people and four bulls died during their participation in the sport, it is reported. Thanks to a massive protest in 2017, Jallikattu is now a legal sport in Tamil Nadu.
The big protest: In 2017 a mass movement across Tamil Nadu started to protest against the 2014 Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu. It started off from Madurai's Alanganallur and culminated at Chennai’s Marina Beach with over 3,000 protesters shouting slogans through the night for several days. The student-led protests were significant for being peaceful and garnered international attention.
The Janllikattu protest of 2017 saw thousands of people gathered in Chennai's Marina Beach demanding the sport be allowed.
(With inputs from Soundarya Athimuthu.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)