Will defy Supreme Court fiat on jallikattu: Villagers

In Tiruchy, the members led by Makkal Munnetra Sangam district secretary Rajendran who came to the Collectorate along with a jallikattu bull, said, there are hardly a few days left for Pongal and the uncertainty still looms over the event. It has been testing the patience of the people across the state, he added. 

Rajendran said that the Union Minister Pon Radhakrishnan has been giving them hopes earlier but as days come closer they had lost the hope of organising the event. He also said that they would organise the event even if the government does not allow them. Meanwhile, in Pudukkottai, a section of villagers from Thirunallur near Iluppur submitted a petition with District Collector on Monday for conducting Manjuvirattu as per their traditional ritual. 

The villagers led by T Kullappan alias Senthilkumar, management committee of Muthumariamman temple said, “Every year we used to conduct a Manjuvirattu, a form of bull taming, in our village on the Tamil month of Thai, along with the annual temple festival after getting proper permission from the district administration and police. This year, if the authorities deny permission, we will be forced to go ahead with the ritual in defiance.”