Jallikattu bouts are held in parts of Tamil Nadu but its most famous venue refuses to play along

Jallikattu bouts were held in several parts of Tamil Nadu on Sunday after a gap of two years following an ordinance overnight that made the bull-taming sport legal again. But in Alanganallur in Madurai, thousands of villagers braved the scorching sun to bar the vadi vasal or the gateway to the arena, denying the authorities the chance to hold jallikattu in this popular venue.

The protesters were adamant that they would not budge until ‘a permanent solution’ to conducting the sport is found. They joined a chorus of protestors in other parts of the state, including Chennai, who believe that the ordinance – which provides an exception in the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, a central law, for Tamil Nadu – is only a temporary measure.

The continuing agitation came as a setback to Chief Minister O Pannerselvam’s government, which hoped that the protests would end with ordinance – which he insists is a permanent solution.

Adamant Alanganallur

Jallikattu was banned by the Supreme Court in 2014 after animal rights activists alleged that it involved treating bulls in a cruel manner.

The ordinance, which cleared the way for the sport to be conducted again, was promulgated on Saturday after being cleared by the Union government. On Sunday, jallikattu was held in several venues. In Pudukkottai district, two people were killed, and 83 injured while participating in a bout. But the sport was not held in Madurai.

After the ordinance was promulgated, the bull owners association in the area took a decision that animals would not be sent to Alanganallur, 16 km from Madurai city, till a permanent solution was found. On Sunday, angry villagers halted a few attempts by people to bring bulls in mini vans into Alanganallur for jallikattu.

Alanganallur, Palamedu and Avaniyapuram in Madurai district are the most popular venues for jallikattu, which is mostly held in central and southern Tamil Nadu districts during the harvest festival of Pongal and a few months after that.

“Alanganallur jallikattu is a matter of pride for us,” said Selvam, 60, a bull owner who lives less than 200 meters from the vadi vasal in Alaganallur. “Our battle will be won only if the bull comes out of the vadi vasal here.”

Protests broke out across Tamil Nadu demanding that the ban on jallikattu be lifted after around 200 supporters of the sport were arrested in Alanganallur on January 14. In the following days, lakhs of people thronged Chennai’s Marina beach to reiterate this demand.

The protests, which suggested that the ban on bull taming was a blow to Tamil pride, caught national attention, prompting the Central government to clear a state’s ordinance that would make the sport legal again.

But the protestors at Alanganallur want to ensure that jallikattu will never face a legal hurdle again.

”We are not satisfied with a temporary solution,” said Selvam. “If we quit the protest now based on this assurance, within days there are chances for another ban.”

No entry

Chief Minister Pannerselvam had said on Saturday that he would inaugurate Jallikattu at 10 am in Alanganallur. However, as agitators blocked roads at several places en route from Madurai to the town, as well as Alanganallur’s main entrance, Pannerselvam skipped the visit.

On Sunday, protesters prevented politicians from entering Alanganallur until their demands were met.

Pannerselvam said that jallikattu had been held in several places across the state and assured protestors that the solution brought about by the ordinance was a permanent one, which would stand legal scrutiny. The government is likely to introduce a bill to replace the ordinance on Monday.

The protesters at Alanganallur shouted slogans against the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, seeking a ban on the animal-rights group, and criticised political parties and the chief minister for not doing enough for their cause.

“PETA is a global organisation having no understanding of ground realities,” said Fatima, from the Sisters of St Josephs of Lyons, a congregation based in Madurai, who had come to take part in the agitation at Alanganallur.

“Victory of this agitation will be a victory for the farmers of the Tamil Nadu,” she said, referring to the argument by jallikattu supporters that the continuation of the bull-taming sport is crucial for the survival of local cattle breeds in the state.

Youth factor

As the protest reached its seventh day, more than 2,000 policemen have been deployed within a radius of 10 km from Alanganallur. Shops have been closed for several days but residents of neighbouring villages have been pouring in with food and other supplies.

Many college students who had been protesting in Madurai for the past week travelled to Alanganallur on Sunday to join the demonstration.

Kandiban, an engineering graduate who also took part in protests, said that the jallikattu agitation would be an entry point for young people to intervene in several other socio-political issues in the future, referring to the fact that even during the current agitation the protestors have been vocal about issues such as suicides by farmers battling agricultural distress.