Why protesters staying put, not dispensing

Chennai: Even hours after Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam announced the ordinance and pledged he would follow it up with a legislation to ensure there is never any hindrance to jallikattu, the protesters continued demonstration at Marina beach in the city and elsewhere in the state.

Interestingly some of their ‘leaders’ who had made frequent TV appearance to exhort the crowd went missing. Sources said that they were huddled with senior police officers on how to carry the CM’s offer to the restive protestors, fearing they would not be able to sell the ‘package’.   

“There appears to be a divide now between the ‘leaders’ and the crowd.
In fact we suspect multiple groups of influential forces operating and they are beyond anybody’s control,” said a senior government officer involved in the sensitive negotiation, late Saturday night.

“Till now we are uncertain if the CM’s assurance reached the crowd. The significance of the CM’s assurance is that there is a permanent solution. There is no need to fear that there will be hindrance to jallikattu in the future,” the officer said.

“It is now up to parents, intelligentsia and all right thinking people to tell these young men and women that they have done a great job in winning back jallikattu and its time to get back to classes and normal work,” the officer added.  

Police intelligence indicated that various groups, which supported the protests from back stage, are now fighting within themselves for the credit. “Because of their ego clash, the protesters are still stranded on the Marina. They cannot keep the Marina occupied indefinitely,” a senior police officer noted and hoped that by Sunday the protesters would leave the beach.