On Friday, it seemed as if a good section of the people of Tamil Nadu spent their time all day at three venues – Marinabeach in Chennai, Tamukkam grounds in Madurai and VOC Grounds in Coimbatore. Indeed there were hundreds of other venues where people descended on, just to say revoke the ban on jallikattu.
The fourth day of the protests, there was a little more variety, there were songs, dances, folk performances, apart from the slogans that were raised constantly.
On the Marina, as people poured in right through the day, they were entertained by musicians who played various songs, keeping in line with the jallikattu theme. As far as the sloganeering went, a lot of the anger that was directed at Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and AIADMK general secretary V.K. Sasikala till Thursday, protestors turned their ire on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, while some of it went to Mr. Panneerselvam as well, pending implementation of the actual jallikattu race.
Delta region
In Tiruchi city, the MGR statue junction on Bharathidasan road turned continued to be the epicentre of protest with the participation of thousands of protesters joining in the sit-in protest of students, who stayed put overnight braving the chilly weather. Normal life in Tiruchi, Thanjavur, Karur and other Central districts came to a grinding halt on Friday.
Coimbatore protests too
It was just heads every where at VOC Park Grounds in Coimbatore and in all the lanes and by-lanes nearby. Most of the road sides became parking lots with people from all walks of life congregating to protest for jallikattu for the fourth day. It included pregnant mothers and even those carrying just borns and more people were seen walking in as families. The demand for conduct of the traditional sport was supported with Thaarai thappattai drum beats by groups from different parts of the city and silambattam performances just outside the ground.
From Kodai Vallal Pari to Google head Sundar Pichai, the names of Tamil poets, artistes, historical figures, musicians, and even corporate heads who have made a mark in the international field were highlighted in some of the talks and placards. The demands by some groups expanded to Tamil Eelam and Cauvery water too.
A group of five girls carrying the poster 'Free hugs to brave Tamil women' lauded the presence of women at the protest venue by giving them hugs.
Hundreds of students and volunteers formed human chains and distributed food packets, snacks, water packets and cool drinks, collected the waste plates, cups, and wrappers, ensured space for all those who gathered at the venue and regulated the crowd. Electrolytes, medicines, and sanitary napkins were distributed at the medical centre, mobile phone charging facilities were organised.
Madurai rises with jallikattu revival demand
The crowd at Tamukkam, in Madurai, protesting for jallikattu got massive support from the members of the public on Friday that turned the stretch of Alagarkoil Road between Tamukkam and Goripalayam junction into a sea of humanity.
The family of T. Senthil Ganesh, a marketing executive, was among the crowd that had come to extend their solidarity to the student fraternity. “All these days we have been watching the protest on television channels. Today, we decided to come here in person to support them,” said his wife S. Padma.
The crowd spilled over to Goripalayam junction and regular vehicular traffic could not be allowed through the junction. Students were determined to stay until the bulls ran. “We will not move out till the bulls are released through the ‘vadivasal’ at the jallikattu arena,” shouted many.
