A pall of gloom, coupled with seething anger, has fallen over the southern districts of Tamil Nadu with the Supreme Court ordering an interim stay on jallikattu being conducted in the districts of Tamil Nadu. On January 7, the government has issued an executive order allowing it, and now pro-jallikattu activists are saying that the Centre or the State government should issue an ordinance in favour of jallikattu.
“The Centre has only issued an executive order allowing jallikattu last week. Now either the state government or the centre can change the law, and they can do so with immediate effect by issuing an ordinance,” says Balakumar Somu. He explains that if the state has to pass an ordinance, then it would then have to be sent to the President for his assent. However, it is not clear if this is a vialble legal step by the state government since the 2014 SC judgment states that the central laws will dominate the state laws.
Speaking to The News Minute, Balakumar asks, “Are we not citizens? We have filed a petition against the SC verdict banning jallikattu and it has not been heard for 18 months. But when PETA files a petition, they hear it immediately, in spite of even a judge recusing herself from hearing the case.”
“We are very disappointed, but we will see what further legal recourse is available to us. We have not lost hope, we will see what can be done,” says P Rajasekar, President of Jallikattu Padhugapu Peravai.
Meanwhile, political reactions have started coming in with most expressing disappointment over the SC order today. “The Tamil Nadu government must take whatever legal action it can to allow jallikattu,” said DMK’s MK Stalin.
“The government should take action since none us want to have a law and order situation in the southern districts,” says Balakumar.