Were Chennai’s jallikattu 'crusaders' anti-nationals all along?
- The clashes between police and protesters have marred the jallikattu agitation.
- More than 200 people were injured in the police crackdown.
- Student protesters claim that the police and political parties had colluded to discredit their movement.
FollowThe protests for allowing jallikattu had captivated the entire nation (and even the rest of the world) when they began before the Pongal weekend. Images of students and commoners rallying for a tradition won applause from many, even those who didn’t agree with a cause that promoted animal cruelty. Not anymore. The widespread violence that started on January 23 as police tried to evict protesters from Marina Beach has tarnished the legacy of the agitation.
According to various media sources, more than 200 people (protesters and policemen) have been injured in the violence that erupted on January 23. The fears of antinational elements taking over what was an apolitical agitation were realised on January 23. The Times of India reported that more than 900 protesters were detained on January 23, though most were let off in the evening. Of this, around 40 were referred to as “antisocial” elements by police.
The student protesters who claimed that they were dispersing even before the crackdown alleged political parties and the police had colluded to precipitate violence and discredit the movement. The circulation of various videos of police reportedly beating up people and committing arson has fueled these rumours. For its part, the ruling AIADMK has accused the DMK of being behind these “doctored” videos.
