Won't allow CM's Jallikattu event, assert Madurai locals
Terming Tamil Nadu government's ordinance to allow Jallikattu as a temporary solution, residents of Alanganallur in Madurai have vowed to not allow the conduct of the festival. Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam was scheduled to inaugurate the bull-taming festival from Alanganallur on Sunday. Panneerselvam had earlier promised to pass a new law in the upcoming Assembly session allowing Jallikattu.
Even as Tamil Nadu gears up to organise jallikattu today, residents of Alanganallur in Madurai have vowed to continue their protest. Alanganallur is the same village where Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam is scheduled to inaugurate the banned bull-taming sport at 10 am today. The villagers, not happy with the Ordinance that was cleared by Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao on Saturday, are demanding a more permanent solution to the issue. The Ordinance allowing jallikattu will stay in effect for only six months. CM Panneerselvam has promised that the upcoming Tamil Nadu assembly session will pass a new law that will allow jallikattu to be held permanently without any hindrance.'WON'T ALLOW CM TO ENTER'On Saturday, protesters prevented the Madurai district collector and SP from entering the village. The two officials had reached Alanganallur to make arrangements for today's inauguration. The locals say they won't hold jallikattu today and have even vowed not to let Chief Minister Panneerselvam enter their village today. 'We cannot protest like this every time we want to hold jallikattu which is why we are asking for a permanent solution,' is the common refrain among the locals. A neighbouring village, Avaniapuram, also plans to boycott today's jallikattu celebrations with the locals issuing calls for citizens of the Madurai district to join them in their continuing protests.Also read: Jallikattu: After AR Rahman, music maestro Ilayaraja also extends supportSTATE GEARS UP FOR JALLIKATTU Tamil Nadu has seen nearly a week of massive, state-wide protests over demands that jallikattu, banned by the Supreme Court in 2014, be legalised. Several celebrities and personalities came out in support of the protesters and Chennai particularly captured the imagination of the country after protesters spent multiple days and nights at the Marina beach. The impasse finally seemed to have neared an end with Governor Rao's go-ahead for the jallikattu ordinance paving the way to hold the centuries-old bull-taming sport. Following this, the Tamil Nadu state machinery moved quickly to announce that CM Panneerselvam will inaugurate jallikattu in Alanganallur on Sunday at 10 am. Other state ministers are expected to inaugurate the sport in their respective districts at 11 am.