The pro-jallikattu bandh evoked excellent response in the district on Friday as most of the shops downed their shutters and more than 90% of the auto, taxis and lorries were off the road.
Even as the youths were organising their agitation at SAV School Ground near the Old Bus Stand for the fourth day demanding the lifting of ban on jallikattu and demanding ban on PETA, thousands of people from various walks of life joined the young agitators on Friday morning.
Good number of families participated in today’s protest to take the participants’ number beyond the 10,000-mark. The traders, teachers and government employees participated in the agitation along with their children. The presence of students outsmarted all others at the venue, which started overflowing at a point to force the police to effect traffic diversions.
While coming to the venue, the traders and the government employees had brought food, drinking water and snacks for the protesting youths. Though the crowd was huge, small groups formed by the core committee regulated the participants, distributed food and drinking water in an organised manner. Fishermen abstained from fishing operations to express solidarity with the youngsters protesting for jallikattu. The pro-jallikattu agitations were organised at 36 places across the district on Friday by various organisations. Most of the shops barring pharmacies and small roadside teashops, remained closed in view of the State-wide bandh on Friday. More than 90% of the autos, taxis and lorries in the district were off the road. However, operations in the Thoothukudi Port were not affected. Two youths – Surya (18) and Kalipandi (22) – from Kovilpatti climbed up the mobile phone signal transmission tower near the Office of Deputy Superintendent of Police, Kovilpatti around 9 a.m. demanding the lifting of ban on jallikattu. However, they were pacified soon by the police and the members of Students’ Federation of India.
