It is unfortunate that the very same people who respected the Supreme Court's verdict on the Cauvery river dispute are now going against the apex court because the former verdict favoured them and this one doesn’t.Celebrities, politicians and others who are showing solidarity have only their business interests and vote-bank considerations in mind.

BN Bharath

Bengaluru

That an ancient agrarian sport depicted in cave reliefs dating to the Sangam era should find resurgence in circa 2017 is as much a product of current regional politics as of championing a tradition. Leadership undercurrents within AIADMK post Amma, the change of guard in the DMK, the once powerful Congress seeking relevance now, and the BJP wanting to acquire a Tamil bias — all these are looking to score on endemic legitimacy. No wonder there is fervour but no animus in the protests.

R Narayanan

Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh

Democracy is for the people, by the people and of the people. But there is no place for anarchy. It is heartening that the uprising against the ban on jallikattu is disciplined and restrained though it is very much against ruling establishment at the Centre and the government of Tamilnadu.

Both, the Centre and the State government must take the blame for their callous approach towards vacating the stay, and not the judiciary. The failure of our elected governments to approach the judiciary and present convincing arguments is what led to the present boiling scenario. By adopting the ordinance route to circumvent the judicial ban, the Tamil Nadu government may have expressed its intent to assuage the hurt feelings and wounded emotions of its people, but the damage has already been done. The message is now loud and clear that no democratically elected government and political class can hoodwink the people through empty rhetoric.

M Jeyaram

Sholavandan, Tamilnadu

As one who took part in the anti-Hindi agitation in 1965 and brought down the Congress in Tamil Nadu, I used to wonder why Tamil youth today, particularly the student community, were passive spectators to the grave injustice done to Tamilians in the case of the Cauvery, the Mullai Periar Dam and the issue of poor Tamil fishermen who are attacked regularly by the Sri Lankan navy, and more importantly, why they have not risen against the rampant corruption that plagues Tamil Nadu. The current protests reiterates the spirit of oneness and pride of being a Tamil. It is time the Centre and the State government found an acceptable solution to this issue.

Tharcius S Fernando

Chennai

One wonders what wind is blowing the south of the Vindhyas that makes even law-abiding role models wade into what is essentially a sub judice matter. The gentle chess giant Vishwanathan Anand, the harmonious harmony legend AR Rahman and the affable off-spinner R. Ashwin have expressed solidarity with the boys and girls who have been camping on Marina beach for the past few days.

Although the protests have spread, there are those who challenge the notions of ‘culture’ and ‘pride’, suggesting these are easy labels that mask alleged casteist undertones that accompany the sport. They cite how the powerful OBC Thevars dominate the sport while Dalits are largely kept away. The protesting youngsters and their backers, including celebrities,are perhaps unaware that the Supreme Court’s verdict is not exclusively against jallikattu. It has banned similar sports in Punjab, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Goa as well.

J Akshay

Bengaluru

No market for MF

This is with reference to the editorial, ‘Too many rules’ (January 20). Mutual The concept of earning/ saving through MFs is hardly understood by common man. Even now, the concept and complexity of these funds are not understood properly by prospective investors. Although SEBI has taken steps to boost the market, it has to take further measures to bring it on par with other savings routes.

Rahul J Gautam

Bengaluru

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