District officials gear up to hold jallikattu
21 Jan 2017 5:22 PM GMT
With the Tamil Nadu Governor approving the jallikattu ordinance, district officials on Saturday started making arrangements for the bull taming sport to be held at Alanganallur, 14 km from here, on Sunday. However, those staging protests said they would continue with the agitation till a permanent solution is found.
Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao has approved the jallikattu ordinance and the bull taming sport will be held at Alaganallur in Madurai and other parts of the state tomorrow, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam had announced.
The Chief Minister will inaugurate jallikattu at Alanganallur at 10 am.
Speaking to reporters after holding talks with police and other officials, District Collector K Veera Raghava Rao said 27 medical teams have been formed to examine the bulls that would take part in the sport.
A total of 2500 police personnel would be deployed on security duty, comprising 'two-tier system,' he said. In addition to this, fire service and medical personnel to provide treatment for people taking part, who might suffer injuries, would also be sent to the jallikattu venue.
Some bull owners said they would not allow their bulls to participate. However, some jallikattu enthusiasts said they were ready to face the bulls.
Barricades were being set up for the spectators and also enough safety arrangements have been made to prevent any untoward incidents, officials said.
Those participating in protests in Madurai, amid rains, said that they would continue with the agitation till a permanent solution was found. However, some of them expressed happiness over the arrangements made for conduct of jallikattu. A section of the jallikattu organisers wondered about the effectiveness of the ordinance.
They also said arrangements for the sport was being made suddenly according to emerging situations and wondered whether they were really good and safe.
"Even if the chief minister comes, it is doubtful if jallikattu will be held with the present mood among the protesters," said an organiser.
DIG Anand Kumar Somani has rushed to Alanganallur to personally oversee security arrangements.
Now, chorus for lifting ban on buffalo race Kambala
With the decks getting cleared for the bull taming festival of Jallikattu in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, there is a growing chorus for organising Kambala, a traditional annual buffalo race in marshy fields, held in the coastal districts of Karnataka. Spurred by the Jallikattu agitation in Tamil Nadu,Kambala Committees have decided to meet in Mangaluru on Sunday to strategise their agitation.
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