Jallikattu Protestors' advice to the Farmers fighting at Tikri Border..

The Jallikattu Protest against PETA's proposal to ban the traditional bull-taming sport in Tamilnadu was met with a resistance that resounded globally. Scores of people gathered in Marina Beach on Jan 8th 2017 for a peaceful protest in support of this ancient sport played to protect and nurture healthy bulls for agricultural purpose. Music composer Adhi AKA Hip Hop Thamizha kickstarted the protest with his song Takaru Takaru which brought to light PETA's claim against Jallikattu.

"We look at bulls and cows like our children. How can we hurt them? There is politics behind this thought. If this sport is banned, country breeds will go extinct. MNCs' will grow their coffers. Tamils will lose their identity if they remain quiet now." sings Adhi in his song.

Jallikattu was a teaser exhibit for farmers in Tamilnadu to trade bulls for agriculture. This was widely discussed in South Indian news media. This led to thousands of students coming together to fight for their land's identity, a sport that is deeply rooted in its scorched fields. Tamils known for their hospitality and soft hearted nature led this "peaceful" protest a notch above Gandhi's Ahimsa movement. Extraordinary cases of humanity went viral on social media.

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Images of students holding plastic sheet above the heads of 30 muslims performing their evening prayers went viral as rains lashed during the protest. Women belonging to different class and age spent 3 nights in the beach with strangers. Several actors like Vijay, Ajith, Trisha, Nayanthara, Sivakarthikeyan, Simbu and RJ Balaji joined the revolt at the beach. Actor Vijay's popular selfie video against PETA drove the spirit of protestors to stay put and fight on. Several homemakers cooked and distributed meal packets to the protestors. When the electricity was disconnected, they flashed the torch from their mobile phones up on the sky to show their unity.

The next biggest protest the nation has witnessed is the Farmer's protest that has been raging over 250 days at the borders of Delhi. When we asked Jallikattu protestors on why the farmers have not turned their movement fruitful, we get diverse responses.

A 3-month pregnant Saranya Selvam at Jallikattu Protest, Marina Beach.

When asked about the recent case of rape reported during the farmers protest, Mr Siva from Pazhani responds by saying, "People from Tamilnadu may seem orthodox but they treat their agricultural land as God. They practise equality in their homes. They work in the fields together and contribute towards their household equally. The farmers who are protesting should follow basic ethical principles to turn their movement successful." Mr Siva is originally from Pazhani, currently working in Singapore.

"Jallikattu protest was primarily a students' movement. Our younger generation is aware of their predecessors who tilled and harvested their land. They patronise their rich heritage though they wear id cards and work with laptops. If the farmers get the support of youth and social media, they can turn this around" says Dinesh, a B.Tech graduate, who participated in the protest 4 years ago.

"Jallikattu is our tradition. PETA being a foreign organisation cannot dictate terms to a land that worshipped cows as "Gomaadha". We were not mindless protestors, we understood the science behind Jallikattu. We want the next generation to know about this great sport. It was few of us initially, then thousands gathered, water and meals were distributed, bull masks were passed around, stage was up and performers beat the drums. The protest became a celebration of our intrinsic folk art and culture. The Sikhs serving food to their oppressors won my heart. Farmers' protest is growing exponentially and has the potential to become successful. If the government sings One Nation One Rule, every state will arm its troops to fight for its identity. It is the way of nature. Dear farmers, the fight is not over yet." says Saranya Selvam who participated in the Jallikattu Protest while being 3 months pregnant.