Jallikattu ban row: Protesters swell in Chennai, DMK plans railway blockade tomorrow – 10 latest updates

Schools in Madurai will remain closed on Friday. Tamil Nadu will largely observe a shut-down.

Updated: January 19, 2017 10:47 PM IST

By Uddipta Das

Jallikattu ban row: Protesters swell in Chennai, DMK plans railway blockade tomorrow - 10 latest updates
Protesters continue to remain in large numbers at Marina beach of Chennai (image source: ANI)

Chennai, Jan 19: With the talk between the chief minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam and Prime minister Narendra Modi not being as fruitful as expected, the Jallikattu row has taken the shape of a ‘revolution’, as some would love to proclaim. Reports of the Tamil diaspora holding mass protests in Sri Lanka, Britain and Australia soon poured in evidently projecting the image of a ‘revolution’ beyond India. With celebrities backing Jallikattu and amidst the demand of the public to ban animal rights NGO PETA, and both the State government and the NGO considering to take legal action against each other, it seems the protest will overstay welcome, and so will the protesters at Marina beach.

While Pongal this year was marked, correction, tainted by these mass protest and the war over Jallikattu became a war between Tamil Nadu and PETA, no matter how much PETA and their counsel deny it, in this Tradition vs Law, it will indeed be a relief to see this skirmish end. While each moment there are new developments in the Jallikattu row, listed below are 10 important developments in the Jallikattu row.

Jallikattu row: 10 latest developments

  1. Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) has announced statewide ‘rail roko’ (railway blockade) agitation in Tamil Nadu on Friday as a sign of protest against the ban on Jallikattu and is demanding an ordinance. The DMK has claimed that Centre has given step-motherly treatment to Tamil Nadu in various issues.
  2. People of Tamil Nadu have also announced a statewide bandh, and vehicles in the state will also go on a strike.
  3. Schools in Madurai will remain closed on Friday. Private school associations in Chennai cited the strike by school vans and buses as the reason for schools being declared closed.
  4. Movie halls might not be in the priority list of Tamils right now, but on Friday they will be shut too. And yes, it is Friday.
  5. The Tamil diaspora in Sri Lanka, Britain and Australia are reportedly holding demonstrations protesting against the ban on Jallikattu. The protest groups include Tamil Sangam, World Tamil Organisation and British South Indians. They reportedly held demonstrations outside the Indian High Commission in London on Jan 17 and 18. Reportedly more such demonstrations are planned in Leeds in England and Dublin in Ireland.
  6. Oscar-winning music director and composer AR Rahman tweeted he will fast on Friday to support the ‘spirit of Tamil Nadu’.
  7. 5-time World Chess Champion Viswanathan Anand lent his support in the protest against Jallikattu. The chess champion said the people have shown their strength as Tamils and said Jallikattu is a cultural symbol.
  8. On Thursday afternoon, the Tamil Nadu Chamber of Commerce extended its support for Jallikattu saying that they will participate in the statewide bandh on Friday if the Centre does not promulgate an ordinance.
  9. National Green Tribunal (NGT) Bar Association Chennai also called for boycott of proceedings on Friday and extended their solidarity in the protest against the ban.
  10. And finally, Congress leader RS Surjewala said that the Congress respects the right of people of Tamil Nadu to preserve the culture and tradition of Jallikattu.

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