Jallikettu vs the Nation

Never before have we seen such a vulgar and unpardonable effort to defy law as the recent Jallikattu demonstrations. Neither has one sen such unseemly haste on the part of the Central and State governments to prop up the demonstrations by devising an ordinance to legalise the violation of the Supreme Court ruling.

The whole affair encompasses a number of disparate but equally opportunistic and narrow political interests. The sudden explosion of anxiety for jallikettu after two years without it and just a week or so before this year’s Pongal festival was nothing but a strategic reappearance of the rivalry between DMK and AIADMK. I doubt if this would have happened if Amma had been alive.

The Central government’s eruption of sympathy for a distorted manifestation of tamil culture was a shameful attempt at getting a toehold in a scene of volatile politics.This open support for defiance of the Supreme Court will have its backlash on the  Centre with dormant interest in regional cultures  suddenly finding voice in the States such as Maharashtra, Karnataka, West Bengal etc. PM Modi faces the threat of a dent in his stature as a national leader who has claimed to provide national leadership.

Ordinances and bills will be passed by the States, there will be legitimate challenges to their validity. The PCA Act will be amended to legitimise a cruel practice which was never a part  of the original format of jallikettu.Where would  that leave the Centre which would have to reconcile questionable  regional interests with the need to uphold the law of the land ? The Prime Minister’s statesmanship will face its worst threat yet.