[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]T[/dropcap]he fact that the RSS and the BJP are the favourite whipping “boys” of the Indian political classes and the liberal socialites were proved once again with the latter coming all out against the Sangh Parivar for the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu, the traditional sport of rural Tamil Nadu.
But the delay by the Supreme Court to deliver its judgment on a plea challenging the ban on Jallikattu, is being projected by the Opposition DMK and its allies as an effort by the “Brahminical” BJP to saffronize the southern State.
The Supreme Court had banned the sport in May 2014 following a petition submitted by internationally funded NGOs, animal lovers and Animal Welfare Board of India. The case was filed by these organisations and individuals during the tenure of the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh (2004 to 2014). Though the BJP government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to help the Tamil nadu government to stage Jallikattu in 2015 by issuing a special notification, the apex court shot it down and the Central government was rebuked by the Court.
“It is not that easy to circumvent the particular judgment. They have to do a lot of work to get it cleared again,” former judge of the Supreme Court, Radhakrishnan who delivered the verdict had told PGurus.
But the delay by the Supreme Court to deliver its judgment on a plea challenging the ban on Jallikattu, is being projected by the Opposition DMK and its allies as an effort by the “Brahminical” BJP to saffronize the southern State.
“Anti-Tamil RSS-BJP get out of Tamil Nadu”, read the placards carried by thousands of demonstrators who took out procession all over Tamil Nadu on Friday demanding the revival of the sport.
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]T[/dropcap]he highlight of these rallies was the anti-Centre tirade echoed throughout the State though the RSS and the BJP do not have any role in banning the bull sport. M K Stalin, the DMK vice president, who inaugurated a state-wide agitation at Chennai on Friday against the ban on Jallikattu alleged that the Narendra Modi-led union government was anti-Tamil and anti-Tamil Nadu.
He said the union government could have circumvented the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu by promulgating an ordinance.
“The Prime Minister has enough time to meet film stars like Gautami, Nagarjuna, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Shahrukh Khan. But he does not have a minute to spare for the MPs from Tamil Nadu who wanted to meet him to inform him about serious issues haunting the State,” charged Stalin.
He said the union government could have circumvented the Supreme Court ban on Jallikattu by promulgating an ordinance. “The present government at the Centre has issued 22 ordinances on various issues. Why can’t they issue an ordinance for Jallikattu?” he asked.
He was joined in the agitation by leaders of the Congress. Though the Congress has been campaigning with the DMK against the BJP government at the Centre demanding the lifting of the ban on Jallikattu, a perusal of recent records by PGurus threw up some interesting information.
[dropcap color=”#008040″ boxed=”yes” boxed_radius=”8px” class=”” id=””]T[/dropcap]he Congress which is criticising the Narendra Modi government for the ban on Jallikattu, had in its manifesto for the Tamil Nadu Assembly Election in May 2016 declared that it would ban the Jallikattu. “The party supports the ban on Jallikattu,” said the Congress manifesto.
Referring to Stalin’s allegation that the Narendra Modi government was against Tamil Nadu, K T Raghavan, BJP spokesman, said this was a derogatory statement.
“Tamil Nadu Assembly elections 2016: Congress releases manifesto, promises ban on ‘Jallikattu’”, the dailies had carried banner headlined reports the day after the manifesto was released by Mukul Wasnik, AICC general secretary. In Tamil Nadu, the Congress is piggyback riding the DMK for survival. Thirunavakkarasar, the TNCC president, who has put in years of service both in the AIADMK and the BJP, is trying to bend backwards to the maximum position to appease the father-son duo of Karunanidhi and Stalin.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a letter to N G Jayasimha, Managing Director, Humane Society International, an NGO based in Secunderabad had said that he was for banning the bull fight. “The Humane Society International India has a worthy objective and certainly we have to work to discourage bullfights which provide a cruel form of entertainment. I wish you all success in achieving your objective,” said the former Prime Minister in his letter dated December 15, 2015.
Interestingly, Jayanthi Natarajan, former union minister for environment and forests in the Manmohan Singh cabinet, blamed her successor Jairam Ramesh for the Jallikattu ban. “Jairam Ramesh, who was inducted as environment minister after I was thrown out of the government distorted and manipulated the list submitted by the AWBI and included bulls as performing animals. It was based on this list that the Supreme Court banned Jallikattu,” said Jayanthi. She had quit Congress immediately after the 2014 Lok Sabha elections alleging that the High Command had pressurised her to make wild and baseless allegations against Narendra Modi, the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate.
Referring to Stalin’s allegation that the Narendra Modi government was against Tamil Nadu, K T Raghavan, BJP spokesman, said this was a derogatory statement. “The BJP’s manifesto for the 2016 assembly election is clear in this regard. It is in the public domain. We had assured the people that the party would strive hard for getting the ban on Jallikattu annulled,” said Raghavan.
He said the Jallikattu season is spread over the January-May months and it is not a one-day affair. “These demonstrations are much ado about nothing. One cannot pressurise the apex court to deliver the verdict as per one’s convenience,” he said.
Aanand Venkat, RSS leader in Chennai, said the Sangh remained neutral in the Jallikattu issue. “But we are committed in preserving the native Indian breeds of cows and bulls. There is a conspiracy to finish off the native Indian breeds to help the international companies to market their breeds and other paraphernalia. We are against it,” said Venkat.
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