MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday sought reply from the Madurai district authorities on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking to form the organising committee for the Avaniyapuram jallikattu, scheduled to take place in Madurai on January 14, by including representatives from all communities.
The litigant ST Kalyanasundaram stated that he is a resident of Ward 94, where Avaniyapuram jallikattu is conducted. He belongs to the SC (Arunthathiyar) community and more than 1,500 families belonging to the said community are residing in the ward.
Every year, during the month of Thai, people of all communities come together to conduct the Avaniyapuram jallikattu. However, in 2023, one AK Kannan registered an association named Thengal Pasana Vivasayigal Sangam to exclude the SC community and claimed sole authority over conducting the event in Avaniyapuram, Kalyanasundaram alleged.
Kannan also filed a civil suit claiming the above right, he said. Stating that no single individual can claim rights over the jallikattu event, Kalyanasundaram sought the above direction to prevent the exclusion of dalit communities in the organising committee of the event.
A bench comprising Justices MS Ramesh and AD Maria Clete criticised the petitioner for approaching the court at the last moment. However, it directed the government counsel to get a response from the authorities concerned and adjourned the case to Friday (January 10).