Amid a growing chorus for the conduct of Jallikattu during Pongal this year, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday urged the Centre to promulgate an ordinance removing the legal impediments to enable the conduct of the sport next week in the state.
Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stated that in view of the interim stay on the notification ordered by the Supreme Court, bull-taming sport could not be conducted during Pongal for the second year in succession.
He said the ban on Jallikattu had caused widespread resentment and general disappointment among the people of Tamil Nadu, particularly in the rural areas, since the traditional sport is intertwined with the religious and socio-cultural ethos of the Tamil society.
Pointing out that both he and his predecessor, the late J Jayalalithaa, had put forth a demand to Modi that the Ministry of Environment and Forests “should clearly denotify” bulls as performing animals from its 2011 notification, Panneerselvam said “there has been no action yet from Government of India on the suggestions of the state government”.
Remove impediments
“Given that the Pongal festival, which holds great importance to the people of Tamil Nadu, is less than a week away and Jallikattu is an integral part of the Pongal festivities, considering the urgency of the issue, the Government of India should consider promulgating an ordinance removing the legal impediments, enabling the conduct of Jallikattu,” he said.
“Considering the groundswell of sentiment and support for the conduct of Jallikattu all over Tamil Nadu, this is an issue on which the Government of India must act with maximum despatch,” the chief minister said and requested Modi to direct the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to take necessary action to promulgate the requisite ordinance immediately.
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