Democratic Youth Federation of India staged a day-long fast in Kulamangalam here on Sunday demanding the immediate repeal of the ban on ‘jallikattu’ so that the bull-taming sport can be conducted during Pongal festival next month.
Addressing the protesters, S. Bala, State secretary of DYFI, alleged that there was a conspiracy by organisations like People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which worked in a concerted manner in making the Supreme Court of India to ban the sport. “There ulterior motive is to make our native breeds of cattle extinct, thereby crippling our agriculture and dairy farming,” he alleged.
Asserting that there were strong evidence about the ancientness of the sport, he said that ‘jallikattu’ was intertwined with farming and rural culture in general. Claiming that ‘jallikattu’ caused no harm to the bulls involved in the sport, Mr. Bala said, “Elephants kept in captivity in temples, on the contrary, actually undergo various forms of torture. But why are the animal rights organisations and the courts not talking about it?” he questioned.
S. Karthik, Madurai district secretary of DYFI, said their protest would be intensified with participation from the public if the union government did not take adequate measures to lift the ban on the sport immediately.
Madukkur Ramalingam, State vice-president of Tamil Nadu Progressive Writers and Artists Association, and T. Chellakannu, Madurai district secretary of Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front, participated in the protest.
