30 people supporting bull-wrestling festival investigated for illegal assembly

SINGAPORE –  Thirty people are being investigated by the police for their suspected involvement in a public assembly without a police permit on Saturday (Jan 21).

Preliminary police investigations found that the group, comprising men and women aged between 21 and 56, had gathered at Sembawang Park in the evening to show their support for Jallikattu and the protest in India against its ban. Some members of the group were holding placards, police said in a press release on Sunday.

Jallikattu, which means “bull-taming”, is a centuries-old festival associated with Ponggal celebrations in Tamil Nadu where bulls are let loose and young men compete to subdue them.

The traditional sport has caused some controversy in India. India's Supreme Court outlawed the Jallikattu festival last year after a plea by animal rights groups, which have denounced the event as cruel.

While the aim is not to kill the animals, critics have said that they are fed liquor and have chili powder thrown into their eyes before they are released from a holding pen and chased by revellers. Revellers on their part are not spared from injury and, in some cases, death.  

Many in Tamil Nadu have been protesting against the ban. Tensions escalated last week as thousands of protesters gathered in state capital Chennai and other cities, prompting Tamil Nadu's chief minister to travel to New Delhi to ask Prime Minister Narendra Modi to overturn the ban. He did so late Friday (Jan 20).

The Singapore police reminded the public in its press release that organising or participating in a public assembly without a police permit is illegal in Singapore, adding that foreigners visiting or living here have to abide by our laws and should not import the politics of their own countries into Singapore.  WITH AGENGIES