Hundreds of people from neighbouring villages thronged the sprawling ground in Siravayal in Sivaganga district, famous for hosting jallikattu, on Monday and staged protest as police prevented them from organising the rural sport in the view of the ban order by the Supreme Court.
Tense moments prevailed at the ground as a posse of policemen stood guard and allowed only one bull to pass through the ‘vaadi vaasal’ in tune with the tradition followed by the local people. There was, however, flurry of activity in the nearby areas, when villagers let loose their bulls in the open.
Like Alanganallur and Palamedu in Madurai district, this village was also famous for hosting jallikattu, but this year too the event turned out to be a mere ritual.
Led by K.K.S.R. Veluchamy, Siravayal Ambalam, villagers brought a bull and let it go through the ‘vaadi vaasal’ after offering worship at Periyanayagi Amman Temple. “For the third successive year, we could not organise jallikattu and we are very much upset,” Mr. Veluchamy said.
The villagers cooperated with the police and organised only a symbolic jallikattu, he said. Hundreds of people, who gathered at the ground to witness the event, expressed their protest shouting slogans against People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for campaigning against jallikattu. Accusing the organisation of acting with vested interest, they urged the Centre to ban PETA.
Soon after the ritual got over, there were flurry of activity as people let loose their bulls in the open in Barani Kanmai, in front of the ground and other places, amid cheers by hundreds and thousands of people. Frustrated over the ban, the people let loose more than 200 bulls in the open at Kambanur Kanmai, Thenkarai, Sirukoodalpatti, Oorkulathupatti and Samathuvapuram areas as the police stood helpless.
Tension broke out at Kummangudi, on the outskirts of Karaikudi, when the police laid a barricade and prevented the people from proceedings towards Siravayal. The police, however, defused the situation and persuaded the people to disperse.
Superintendent of Police T. Jayachandran said, “We have registered at least three First Information Reports (FIRs) in connection with the incidents,” he told The Hindu .
