It is very sad that sections of the people and all the political parties of Tamil Nadu want the ban on jallikattu to be lifted (“Panneerselvam favouring PETA” and “Both governments are not serious”, Jan.12). They say that the sport is a part of Tamil culture. I am not a Tamilian, but it seems that the great poet Thiruvalluvar, the poet-saint Sambandar, the beauty and greatness of the temple architecture in Tamil Nadu, the State’s rich literature, mystics like Ramalinga Swami, the great explorers who navigated to all parts of Southeast Asia, the noble kings of the region and the heroes of history form Tamil culture. Not jallikattu. As a parallel, untouchability, the caste system, sati, etc. were also a part of Hindu culture but enlightened leaders fought against these practices.
P.R. Chandrasekhar,
Bengaluru
