Chennai: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Friday has directed district collectors to take necessary efforts to conduct jallikattu. In a release, she said based on the Central government's notification, she had instructed the chief secretary to issue a circular to all district heads to enable the conduct of the sport.
She recalled that the traditional sport, jallikattu, was being conducted since ancient period. Jallikattu reflected the ancient Tamil culture and civilisation. Since 2006, several cases were registered in various courts challenging the sport. After a long legal wrangle, on May 7, 2014, the Supreme Court banned it. Immediately, on her instruction, a review petition was filed in apex court on behalf of state government on May 19, 2014, which is still pending.
Based on a notification dated July 11, 2011, of the previous Congress led-UPA government, in which DMK was a constituent in the alliance, the apex court passed the order banning jallikattu. The notification included bulls in the list of animals barred from exhibition and trained as a performing animal. State Government officials held discussions with the Centre to lift the ban, she said.
