Alanganallur turned the epicentre for protests demanding the conduct of jallikattu, the banned bull-taming sport, here on Monday as thousands of people, predominantly youngsters from across the State, gathered at the village and took out protests throughout the day. The mass protests, bereft of any leadership, were staged even as the bull-taming sport, in varied forms, was held in different parts of the State including Sivaganga, Salem, Namakkal, Tiruchi and Tiruvannamalai districts.
As many as 95 people were detained while another 30 were arrested and remanded in custody. Around 10 people were injured as the police resorted to a lathi charge in the midst of the protests.
Despite the Madurai rural police setting up check posts along all the roads leading to Alanganallur in order to prevent protesters from reaching the village, a large number of youth managed to get there by traversing the interior roads along other villages or walking through the fields.
A majority of the agitators with whom The Hindu spoke said that they did not belong to any organisation and were participating in the protest as Tamils. S. Ramya, a young entrepreneur from Tirupur, who had come here with her husband and five-year-old child, said, “This protest is the culmination of all the injustices being meted out to Tamil Nadu by the Union government and neighbouring States,” — a view that resonated with a majority of the protesters.
The participants were also dismissive of politicians as they expressed dissatisfaction with some of the representatives of political parties who arrived at the venue to express solidarity.
Earlier in the day, the police allowed a few temple bulls to be brought near the arena, where jallikattu was traditionally held on the second day after Pongal. One of the bulls was let loose amidst the crowd, and the police had a tough time bringing it under control.
Meanwhile, around 1,000 people from nearby Pudupatti village took out a procession with two jallikattu bulls towards Alanganallur, joined later by a large group of youngsters.
As they insisted on bringing the bulls to the already crowded arena in Alanganallur, the police resorted to a lathicharge, in which at least 10 people sustained injuries.
Activist R.S. Mugilan, along with nearly 70 people, marched towards the jallikattu arena and courted arrest.
Attempts to lead the gathered protesters on a procession through the town by pop singer Aadhi and later by film director Ameer failed as the protesters were resolute on staying in the arena.
Desperate attempts by the police, with the help of the Alanganallur jallikattu organising committee members, to disperse the protesters from the arena failed until late in the evening. Around 200 people, predominantly outsiders, remained in the arena even at the time of filing this story late on Monday evening.
