Post Jallikattu protest, Chennai police in crackdown mode

While the Jallikattu protest in Chennai was credited to creating awareness among youth to take up the cause, it also forced the Tamil Nadu police to remain in crackdown mode. The police have upped its ante even against peaceful protesters and last week, three separate activists, seeking to protect the environment and people's right to dissent, were arrested.

M Valarmathi, a final year Journalism student of Periyar University, was arrested on July 12 along with her friend's mother Jayanthi for distributing pamphlets in front of the Government Arts College for Women in Salem, in support of the ongoing protest against hydrocarbon project in Neduvasal and Kadirmangalam villages.

On the same day, police in Madurai arrested three activists belonging to the Environment Protection Committee (EPC) who had sought permission to hold a human chain in the city on Saturday. Last week, four youths were remanded in Coimbatore for distributing magazine New Student in front of Coimbatore Government Arts and Science College.