Will Jallikattu happen this year? is the million dollar question in the state of Tamil Nadu.
With Pongal festival just a few days away, umpteen protests are being hosted in several parts of our state seeking permission to conduct Jallikattu. Today in Coimbatore, a section of students from the Government Arts and Science College, hosted a protest seeking ban on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which is one of the largest animal rights organizations in the world, with over 5 million members and supporters.
As a part of the protests, the students burnt the effigy of Poorva Joshipura, CEO of PETA India. The police arrested the 18 students who were involved in the burning of the effigy.
In another protest, social media users today gathered at the V.O.C grounds in our city, holding placards in support of Jallikattu. They stated that they have organised this gathering by communicating to like-minded users through Facebook and WhatsApp to support Jallikattu. Protestors urged that efforts should be made to allow conduct Jallikattu this year, without fail.
Following a petition filed by PETA, the Supreme Court banned Jallikattu in the year 2014. This ban has caused huge disappointment among millions of Tamils, especially native cattle breeders who consider Jallikattu as an age-old traditional bull-taming sport practiced by the Tamils to display their bravery and compassion towards cattle.
