Jallikattu protests: How international media covered Tamil uprising against New Delhi

The global publications also looked beyond the headlines, skimming upon the regional divide in India.

Updated: January 20, 2017 2:01 AM IST

By Mohammed Uzair Shaikh

Students protesting against ban on Jallikattu (image source: PTI)
Students protesting against ban on Jallikattu (image source: PTI)

Chennai, Jan 19: The mass-scale uprising in Tamil Nadu against the ban on Jallikattu has attracted the gaze of international media. Renowned publications across the globe have covered the protest, which has remained largely apolitical in nature. With the issue entering into its third day, Jallikattu continued to remain the topic of intense debate within national media circles. The global publications also looked beyond the headlines, and skimmed upon the regional divide in India.

Al Jazeera, while reporting the arguments of those for and against the ban, did not refrain from comparing the protests against the ban on Jallikattu with the anti-Hindi agitation of the 1960s. It recalled how the the then Dravidian uprising forced the Indian National Congress government to withdraw Hindi as the official language.

Apart from commenting on the protest, Al Jazeera’s report was also assertive about the allegations of animal cruelty. While introducing the subject to the readers, it defines Jallikattu as “a bull-taming festival where the animals are forced to drink alcohol and chilli powder is rubbed into their eyes.”

Leading US publication, The Washington Post, also published a comprehensive article on Jallikattu, highlighting it’s cultural worth among the people of Tamil Nadu. The article quotes a number of Jallikattu supporters to put forth their points. However, it also lays down the observations made by the Supreme Court bench for banning the festival.

The article quotes Times of India to call it the ‘Arab Spring’ of India, referring to the popular uprising of 2011 in number of middle-eastern nations against the dictatorial regimes.

While introducing the subject to its readers, Washington Post says, “the annual harvest-related bull-taming sport called Jallikattu has sharply divided Indians.”

Wall Street Journal, another leading US daily, published a detailed article on the massive protest in southern India over the judicially-imposed ban on Jallikattu. The article opines that Jallikattu issue has pitted the animal rights’ activists against the supporters of the traditional fest.

It further draws comparison with Spain, where the countryside population is at loggerheads with the animal protection groups over the cultural sport of bull-fight. “Bullfighting has long been a topic of debate in Spain, where traditionalists have locked horns with animal-welfare advocates,” it notes.

The New York Times and BBC also carried detailed news agency reports on Jallikattu. However, the articles were simple news bits, with no opinions and assertions. Both the publications pointed out that thousands have gathered in Chennai seeking legalization of Jallikattu. The reports have also quoted activists of People For Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) to put forth the views of those defending the ban. Similar news agency copies have also been published by Express Tribune and Daily Star, noted publications of Pakistan and Bangladesh respectively.

Several other publications, including Britain’s Daily Mail and Dubai’s Gulf Times carried AFP copies which portrays Prime Minister Narendra Modi negatively for Jallikattu supporters. Although Modi told Tamil Nadu CM O Panneerselvam that the matter is subjudice, he underlined that he supports the Tamil sentiment. However, the AFP copy titles the story as ‘Modi refuses to step in over bull-wrestling ban’. The report depreciates the fact that ministers from BJP government has assured that Centre would take all legal steps to decriminalise the festival.

The protest against Jallikattu ban is expected to intensify on Friday. Although the protest has been non-political so far, the DMK, which is prime Opposition party in the state, has announced a railway blockade today, demanding the Centre to issue an ordinance and nullify the ban imposed by Supreme Court.

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