As Chennai Stares at a Political Vacuum, Bulls Run Free in Madurai

Chennai: “Super, super, super, super… whoever catches this bull will get a silk sari,” an announcer shouts out. The bull-tamers – mostly 19 to 25 years old -- run after the bull, many perhaps wondering what they will do with the sari.

Jallikattu is underway in Madurai’s Alanganallur, the place where it is traditionally conducted (and funded) by the government: A sweet culmination of a battle fought on the beaches of Marina where thousands gathered overnight and stayed put until the Centre and the state relented and issued an ordinance to overcome an earlier ban on the bull-taming sport.

However, there has been a change of plan.

This year, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam was to inaugurate it personally. It would have been a high for the “caretaker” chief minister to personally be there at the ‘Vaadi Vaasal’ – the narrow entry point through which bulls are let into the arena – in Ground Zero Alanganallur.

But the raging political battle he is fighting with VK Sasikala over the control of the party and the government has forced him to stay back in Chennai. Even the AIADMK MLAs from in and around are absent. All of them being “held captive” in resorts near Chennai by the Sasikala faction, as alleged by Pannerselvam camp.

The door then is wide open for MK Stalin, working president of DMK, who rushed to Madurai leaving behind a politically-charged Chennai. And he is making his presence felt, giving away awards to the successful tamers.

It was the first time that Stalin went to Madurai for Jallikattu – and the fact that he wants to slip into the vacuum in the state was very evident.

Jallikattu and its ban saw one of south India’s most fervent agitations last month when thousands came out on the streets of Chennai fighting for ‘Tamil’ pride. OPS – an just about everyone else – was blamed for not upholding the interests of Tamilians, but one wonders what interest of Tamilians is upheld when 129 MLAs who were called for a legislature party meeting were taken away to a resort 75 km away.

“It’s as good as kidnap. MLAs were called for the meeting, and told they have to stay in hotels until they are taken either to Delhi or to Raj Bhavan,” says one source in the party who is yet to decide his loyalty. It was obvious that none of the MLAs from faraway districts came prepared for this – Tamil Nadu’s politicians are new to ‘resort politics.’

The move has given way for habeas corpus petitions being filed in the High Court to ‘find’ missing MLAs, besides the ridiculing on social media that has now become common.

“The three key players in TN: acting CM, acting Governor and acting president of DMK. No wonder Kamal Haasan has an opinion on it,” says a tweet from @rameshsrivats. What he forgot to add perhaps: The tragedy of it is, no one is acting on anything.

As the loud cheering for CM-in-waiting VK Sasikala competed with the loud silence from the Raj Bhavan, Tamil Nadu is in a state of impasse for five days since the political turmoil began. Even Sasikala’s post as AIADMK General Secretary is interim, and has been questioned by the Panneerselvam faction. To boot, the 200 wards of Chennai have no corporators for the last few months as elections haven’t been held – and, in consequence, no Mayor for the city either.

Dr V Maitreyan, MP and loyalist of OPS, has even alleged that the loyalist of Sasikala are no loyalists at all – that their signatures to the letter of support were forged, they are being held captive against their wishes.

As @brindhams says on twitter: “First of all it’s confusing. Who is ruling – OPS/ SK? Who is Opposition – OPS/ SK / DMK? it’s all so confusing (rough translation), oh narayana!”

Ever since September 2016 when J Jayalalithaa was hospitalized, Tamil Nadu has seen only ‘temporary’ post-holders at high levels. The turf war between OPS and Sasikala over the past month has seen a churning in the bureaucracy too – advisors of the Jaya era have been removed, serving officers have been shuffled.

It’s obvious that all this is hurting decision-making (and, by default, administration) at every level – and whether Opposition parties fancy themselves as filling the void or not, this deadlock can’t be too good for the State.

As Jallikattu has shown us all so often, an untamed bull runs amok. We may all end up with gifts that are of no use.