More than 5,000 college students from across the district staged a demonstration near Tiruchi-Palani Road junction here on Wednesday, demanding a ban on People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and permission to conduct jallikattu. They also appealed to the State Government to release those arrested in Alanganallur in Madurai district.
Earlier, engineering students from Anna University, PSNA College of Engineering and Technology and SSM College of Engineering Technology took out a rally from Palani Bypass Road to Tiruchi Highway, the venue of the agitation.
Polytechnic college students and private arts and science college students, including a large number of girls, joined the stir.
Arrival of students to the spot has been increasing since morning. Engineering, arts and science and polytechnic colleges announced holiday on Wednesday.
Students sat on Tiruchi Highway seeking a total ban on PETA.
The State Government should pressurise the Centre to promulgate an ordinance to enable conduct of jallikattu, they said, and demanded a statement from Chief Minister O. Pannerselvam in this connection. A batch of students had been staying at the protest venue since Tuesday morning. They prepared food and distributed it among themselves.
Similar demonstrations were conducted by students of educational institutions in Palani and Gandhigram Rural Institute in Chinnalapatti.
Palani
Demonstration against PETA and in support of jallikattu has been intensified in the temple town on the second day as several volunteers brought bulls and Rekla carts and joined students’ stir.
Students took out a massive rally in the town and staged a demonstration in front of the bus stand. More than 1,500 students and rural people participated.
Heavy police personnel were deployed at the bus stand. Lawyers in Dindigul and Nilakotti boycotted courts in support of the students’ stir.
Lawyers in Dindigul brought a jallikattu bull along with them in the rally which started at combined district court complex and ended at Tiruchi Road junction.
Theni
Students staged a demonstration at Theni bus stand and Andipatti bus stand.
Ramanathapuram
Hundreds of students of Syed Hameedha Arts and Science College and Sathak Polytechic in Kilakarai walked 20 km from Kilakarai to Ramanathapuram. Most of them, clad in black shirts, shouted slogans denouncing PETA and the Centre for hurting the sentiments of Tamils. Advocates boycotted courts and decided to abstain from court proceedings on Thursday as well. Volunteers of Tamizhar Vazhvurimai Katchi and Tamil National Movement climbed on Pamban rail bridge to protest. Rameswaram-Madurai passenger train was stopped at Pamban and allowed to proceed after the police removed them.
