Expatriates gather in support of Jallikattu in Bahrain

Manama: Expatriates gathered at a Bahrain beach to voice support for the 2017 Jallikattu protests, also known as the pro-Jallikattu movement, which is rocking the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Hundreds of Indians including women and children gathered at the Asry beach with placards supporting Jallikkattu, a traditional sport in which a Bos indicus bull is released into a crowd of people. After the afternoon gathering, another similar was held in the evening at the Andalus Park. There was also a gathering at a contracting company's accommodation, DT News learnt.

Jallikattu is typically practiced as a part of Pongal or harvest celebrations. Multiple human participants attempt to grab and tightly "hug" the large hump of the bull and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape. Participants hug the hump for as long as possible, attempting to bring the bull to a stop.

Jallikattu protests refers to numerous leaderless apolitical youth groups protesting in January 2017 in large groups in different locations in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, with some sporadic smaller protests taking place across India as well as overseas. The chief motivation of the protest is against the Supreme Court's order to ban the Tamil peoples' traditional bull taming sport. The sport was banned by the Supreme Court in a decision citing animal cruelty based on a lawsuit filed by an animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which asserted that the tradition is contrary to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Pic shows Andalus garden and Asry beach gathering.