Poor leadership

Whether a dangerous sport like Jallikattu can be called "culture" is a point of debate

With reference to the report, “Tamil Nadu legalises Jallikattu, police action sparks violence in Chennai” (January 24), C Rajagopalachari had said that culture “is the habit of successful self-control”. Whether a dangerous sport like Jallikattu, where some participants and even bystanders are maimed or killed by bulls on the rampage, can be called “culture” is a point of debate.

Be that as it may, the Tamil Nadu government has fared poorly in the episode. When thousands of protesters gather at a place — even if the protest is organised and starts off peacefully — a spark is all that is needed to start a conflagration. Antisocial elements wait to exploit such an opportunity. What Chennai and other towns of Tamil Nadu witnessed on January 23 — organised violence and arson — was avoidable; if only the administration had acted wisely! Effective leadership does not allow trouble to fester, nipping it in the bud. The state has not had such a leadership in recent times.

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