It’s men in khaki who are reluctantly playing jallikattu, often at great risk

CHENNAI: The Supreme Court on the one side and angry bull owners (and their agitated bulls) on the other. Caught right in the middle of this conundrum — where duty mandates that they nab the men, but survival instinct forces them to run and take cover from the rampaging bulls — are the men in khaki.

Ever since the apex court refused to grant relief to jallikattu enthusiasts for yet another year, this has been a hectic Pongal for hundreds of police personnel in Tamil Nadu, where they have been fielded to tackle not just the angry men, but their animals as well. On Monday, there were impromptu events held at various places including Tiruchy, Salem and even Alanganallur in Madurai, that used to host one of the biggest events before the ban set in.

At Alanganallur, for instance, a thick police cover right from morning helped prevent staging jallikattu on full-scale. But the protestors had another plan in mind. After finishing the rituals, including puja, a group of bull owners let their beasts loose, four in all, forcing the hapless personnel to take cover behind barricades, vehicles and buildings. Many of them lamented that they had been on the ground without a break for the past few days.