Pro-Jallikattu protests continued in Puducherry for the seventh day at the AFT grounds. The protest for the folk tradition, now embraced by thousands of students across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry as an identity of Tamils, continued to pull in crowds in large numbers in Puducherry even as police dispersed protesters in Tamil Nadu.
Support for the protest also came from the most unexpected quarters when a newly wed couple turned up at the venue to express solidarity. Srinivas Perumal of Chinna Kadai and Tamilarasi of Chinna Veerampattinam after their wedding at Ellaiamman Kovil on Bussy Street on Tuesday morning reached the AFT grounds to express their solidarity with the protesters
Condemning the police action against protesters across Tamil Nadu, the students in Puducherry raised slogans against the Tamil Nadu police and demanded for permanent legislation to allow jallikattu.
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Diwakar, an engineering student, said that the students will not leave the venue till a permanent solution is reached and the attack on protesters stopped.
Girls outnumbered the boys at the protest venue and many volunteers went out to different colleges in and around Puducherry to invite more students to join them in the protest. Students of arts and science colleges, medical and engineering colleges were present.
Several college administrations had warned the students not to join the protest. “Our college administration has said they will reduce our internal marks if we went to the protest. Hence, many students were scared to come out of college. But, we will continue the protest no matter what,” stated a student of Raak Arts and Science College in Perambai.
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As batches of students arrived at the venue, they were welcomed with rousing applause from the protesters at the venue. They managed the traffic and provided water and food to the participants. An elderly woman, actor Ravi, professionals and homemakers also joined the youngsters in the protest.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Rajiv Ranjan reached the AFT grounds and appealed to the agitators to end the protest by Monday night as the Assembly will be held on Tuesday.
However, protesters seem to be in no mood to yield.
“We have got the permission to protest in AFT grounds only till Monday night. I am sure the police will permit us to continue the protest on Tuesday. If we do not get the permission, we will protest till a solution is reached. There is no going back,” a student said.