News Tamil Nadu

Caste Discrimination Mars Palamedu Jallikattu Again: Bulls Raised By Dalit Tamers Barred Despite Court Orders

January 16, 2025
The Commune

For the second consecutive year, the Palamedu Jallikattu event, held in Palamedu village on 15 January 2025, faced severe caste-related issues. Bulls raised by Dalit communities, as well as tamers from these communities, were barred from participating in the prestigious event. Palamedu, which has a century-long tradition of hosting Jallikattu, ranks second only to Allanganallur in its prominence. This exclusion occurred despite a directive from the Madras High Court and the order of the Madurai district collector, underscoring ongoing caste-based discrimination at the event.

Against the backdrop of the Paraiyar community’s temple, bulls owned by members of the community were not permitted to participate in the Jallikattu event. In protest, the “Paraiyar Uravin Murai Sangam” in Palamedu village raised black flags at their homes in their respective colonies, denouncing the discriminatory practices. What was even more shocking was that when bull tamers, especially youths, from the community attempted to participate despite the unlawful ban, they were forcibly removed from the Jallikattu arena by law enforcement. This was a deeply upsetting part of the event.

One of the bull tamers, speaking to the press, stated, “When we went to ask, 10 police officers beat me up. I am an acclaimed tamer for two years, and I’ve won in three other areas over the past three years. I didn’t receive any token initially, and later, I received one around 2 a.m. through recommendations. First of all, they are discriminating based on caste. Some people are coming and participating without any issue. Caste has influenced this once again.”

When the press inquired about the token, he explained, “I received the token late at night. When we asked why, they said, ‘Why should we assign one to you? We’ve assigned them to the important players.'” Others standing nearby angrily pointed out that he had won at events like Allanganallur.

The tamer continued to share his distress, explaining, “We arrived in the morning at 5 a.m., and waited in the queue then, they allowed us in, we thought we would go in around 2 or 4 o’clock. Then, another team from Karuppayurani led by Karthick, who is a skilled player no doubt, was allowed in without issue. They let the entire team participate. This is clear discrimination based on caste. At least they could have allowed me to enter, but no police would let me in. They beat me when I asked about it. My legs are swollen, I can’t even stand. Even if the bull had hit me and I had been injured, it would have been a matter of pride for me. But not being allowed to participate in the event is a shame. I can’t face my villagers—I came here for them, but this is how they’re treating me.” He broke down in tears.

In another viral video, an elder and DMK cadre from the same Palamedu village expressed his anger at the ruling DMK government for caste discrimination, particularly against the Dalit community, despite their support for the party. In the video, the elderly man is heard saying, “You are discriminating against us, asking ‘who are you?’ Now, as a minister, you are doing this, but when you were an MLA, you won with just 1,900 votes. We are the ones who worked day and night for that victory. Even today, I am wearing a DMK-marked vesthi and dhoti—ask my name, and you’ll know me as ‘Kothanar Bose.’ But today, ‘Paraiyars’ have no respect. Then from tomorrow, I won’t allow you to enter our street.”

In 2024, similar caste-based discrimination occurred at the Palamedu Jallikattu bull-taming event, despite High Court orders aimed at addressing such issues. During an interview with a private media channel, a resident from Palamedu spoke out strongly about the deep-rooted caste discrimination present at the event, particularly against the Dalit community.

A resident from Palamedu expressed strong dissatisfaction with the caste-based discrimination at the Palamedu Jallikattu event, despite legal directives to address it. He criticized the government’s handling of the event, highlighting that while the district collector holds the authority to form an organizing committee, the Madathu Committee (a local, caste-specific group) has been given control, releasing only seven temple bulls for the event. He argued that all 22 castes should be allowed to unleash their bulls to ensure fairness and respect for all communities. He also pointed out that the Paraiyar community has been excluded from decision-making within the organizing committee and that their bulls were often sidelined. Despite seeking support from DMK Minister P. Moorthy, who had received votes from the Paraiyar community, no changes were made, and the community’s concerns were ignored. The resident also shared his frustration over the failure to implement legal orders and the lack of respect for their bulls. He demanded that the government recognize the rights of all castes to participate equally in the event, urging the Chief Minister and Minister Moorthy to ensure fair treatment for all communities next year.

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