Makkal Needhi Maiam intends to hold Jallikattu in Chennai, says Kamal Haasan
The bull-taming competition of Jallikattu is popular in Alanganallur, Avaniyapuram, and Madurai's Palamedu and the rural belts of Pudukkotai, Tiruchirapalli and Dindigul. In Tamil Nadu, the season begins in mid-Januray during the Pongal festival.
FollowTamil Nadu's Jallikattu season has begun after the first event of the year was recently held in Pudukkottai. South Indian superstar and Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) party chief, Kamal Haasan, has announced that his party intend to hold the Jallikattu event in Chennai, and his party workers are taking necessary steps to get permission from the relevant authorities.
Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, on Friday, said that he would seek state government approval to organise Jallikattu in Chennai in collaboration with Jallikattu Peravai. Jallikattu is a rural festival held outside of Chennai.
When asked why the event was held in the city, Haasan said that while some people may have forgotten the Jallikattu protest in Chennai's Marina Beach, he hasn't. "We cannot hold Jallikattu in Marina due to legal issues, but we would like to hold it in another spot in the city," Haasan said.
In 2014, Supreme Court banned the event after receiving a petition from the animal rights organisation PETA and the Animal Welfare Board of India. Later, the Ministry of Environment and Forests allowed the event to continue, but the Supreme Court stayed the order, upholding the ban, sparking protests across Tamil Nadu. Following that, the state government amended the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act to allow the event to take place.
This amendment was also challenged in the Supreme Court, and a Constitution bench reserved its decision until December 8, 2022.
The Jallikattu is usually held during the Pongal festivities. A trained bull will be released into a crowd, and multiple participants will try to grab the large hump on its back with both arms and hold on to it while the bull tries to flee. Jallikattu players must hold the hump as long as possible to bring the bull to a halt. Flags on the bull's horns must be removed.
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