A day after the sands of the Marina turned into a war zone overshadowing memories of the week-long peaceful jallikattu protests, the beach remained out of bounds for the public. The rest of the capital city, however, went back to normal mode on Tuesday. A heavy police posse stood guard on Kamarajar Salai and all roads leading to the beach were heavily barricaded even as a group of over 300 pro-jallikattu agitators squatted on the sands. The group that had remained overnight at the beach refused to leave unless it was shown proof of the President granting assent to the Bill amending the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. Finally, it left, late in the night.
Leader of the Opposition M.K. Stalin sought the shifting of Chennai Police Commissioner S. George for the violence and a judicial inquiry, while PMK leader Anbumani Ramadoss demanded a CBI probe.
The three-party People’s Welfare Front instituted a fact-finding team headed by retired judge Justice Hari Paranthaman to ascertain what led to the violence.
Last of jallikattu protesters leave Marina
With the Marina Beach being the venue for the Republic Day celebrations in Chennai, the police spent anxious hours trying to convince a group of 300 jallikattu protesters, who had stayed put, to leave on Tuesday. The police also put up iron barricades and sealed Kamarajar Road, Dr. Radhakrishnan Road, Walajah Road, Bharathi Road, Avvai Shanmugam Road and Dr. Besant Road.
The police engaged young agitators, who had spearheaded the jallikattu movement, to hold talks with the group that had squatted on the sand and hoisted black flags on temporary masts.
At one point, the agitators threw sand on media persons, accusing them of providing unfair coverage to the protests. They told the police that no cases should be booked against a group of 25 persons who had agitated with them. They also demanded a signed copy of new legislation facilitating jallikattu.
‘Purpose achieved’
H. Abdul Hameed, who was among those who spearheaded the original agitation, was sent by the police along with a few others to hold negotiations with the agitators. “The group placed demands such as retrieval of Katchatheevu Island from Sri Lanka. They wanted the agitation to continue forever and wanted immediate solution to a host of problems confronting Tamils. But, in our view, the purpose of our agitation was to hold jallikattu. That has been achieved,” he said. The negotiators failed to convince the agitators to leave.
Around 3.30 p.m., over 150 agitators from Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Salem, who were visibly tired, left the Marina. They were taken in a bus to board trains or buses to their native places. Another 50 persons dispersed half-an-hour later.
Less than 100 persons stayed put insisting that TV channels broadcast live their set of demands. But the crews refused to accept their demand. After much negotiation, they came to the place where media persons were stationed and addressed them. They reiterated their demands before dispersing late in the night.
