Was Jallikattu Hijacked?

The recent events of widespread violence in Chennai and others parts of Tamil Nadu has left a bad taste in the mouth of numerous law-abiding citizens. This is definitely not part of our rich Tamil heritage and culture. We were always known to be a peace loving state with undisputed humanitarian qualities. In one stroke all the good work done in the past few days was destroyed.

Let me rewind to the past few days, I had been closely watching the protest against the Jallikattu ban engineered by vast groups of youngsters. Initially I thought it would wear off in a day or so, but surprisingly that didn't happen. On the contrary it gathered momentum evoking reactions from not only the state government, but also the government of India.

This combined show of unity shook the corridors of power, so much so that we had some of our leaders dashing off to the capital pleading for support and solutions.

I wonder what the situation would have been if our erstwhile leader, whom we lost a few months ago, had been around. I seriously suspect that the scenarios would have been different.

Right now I reserve my comments about Jallikattu, as I am no expert in these matters. However what riled me were the statements vociferously aired about this sport being our culture and heritage and no force on earth should deprive us of this. My question to the youth is whether it is only Jallikattu that is so important an issue to bring you out onto the streets? What about other burning issues plaguing our society, aren’t those too against our Tamil culture and heritage. Why are you mute spectators to those goings -on?

It will be a proud day for every Indian citizen when we see an uprising against corrupt politicians, bureaucrats and other government officials. We see zero entry of criminals in politics, eradication of all kinds of mafia, protection of our women, balancing of wealth, welfare schemes which actually reach and benefit a wide segment of society.

Coming back to the events of 23^rd January, based on TV visuals and newspaper reports, I can easily conclude that the vast majority of genuine protesters were not responsible for the recent carnage. So who were these people branded as anti-social elements? Repeatedly they venture out fearlessly, unmindful of the repercussions of their actions. In an era of advanced technology, identifying these elements should be a straightforward exercise. What matters now is the determination of the custodians of the laws, who should take it upon themselves to do the needful.

It is this very aspect that I have spoken about- accountability. The need of the hour is ensuring that all government agencies are held accountable for their actions.

I would be only too delighted if my wishes come true, and we see the evolving of a movement to preserve our society and allow all to live with dignity and fearlessness.

A second independence movement if I dare to say, and this time the enemy is within us, a more daunting task I am afraid, but not impossible to overcome.

The youth of today create a future for the youth of tomorrow. A subtle and meaningful tag line to keep our hopes alive.