Madurai youth are missing 'jallikattu'

About 50 youth in Madurai shaved their heads in protest against the government and Supreme Court stay on jallikattu, a traditional village sport, part of Pongal celebrations, in which an agitated bull is set free and several people, empty-handed, try to tame it by controlling its horns. Farmers in Tamil Nadu take this game as a display of their masculine strength even though many get fatally injured.

The Supreme Court (SC) had last year banned the event and subsequently “given conditional permission” on the Tamil Nadu government’s plea that such a decision on an emotive issue could have far-reaching consequences.

But with reports of fatal injuries, an SC bench comprising chief justice KG Balakrishnan and justice P Sadhasivam again stayed jallikattu till February 13 and asked collectors not to grant permission for it anywhere in the state. Later on February 13, the SC stayed the conduct of jallikattu until further orders.

Supporters of jallikattu staged a protest march in Madurai and submitted a memorandum urging the apex court to vacate the stay on the sport. “The SC should immediately vacate the stay and allow us to conduct the traditional village sport. We request the state government to take necessary measures to revive the sport by enacting a suitable law,” a representative of the protesters said. Protesters took their bulls in a rally. People from Goripalayam and Madurai participated in the rally.

But some educated youth have expressed their reservations and sought an end to the sport.