prasad1
Active member
Culture is a many-splendoured thing. The dictionary defines culture as the arts, ideas, customs and social behaviour of a particular people or society. What it doesn’t define it as, is a tool to whip up mass public sentiment, as it has done in the past week or more. From Chennai’s Marina Beach to New Delhi and even abroad, Tamils across the world have banded together in the name of culture to protest against a 2014 Supreme Court ban against Jallikattu, a bull taming sport popular in parts of the state during Pongal celebrations. “Save Jallikattu, it’s our culture. Ban PETA”, read banners carried by protestors. While critics feel the practice amounts to animal cruelty, supporters of the sport had hoped that the ban would be lifted ahead of Pongal. The protest saw political parties in the state joining hands in support of Jallikattu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s assurance that “all efforts are being made to fulfil the cultural aspirations of the people.” Modi’s assurance came a day after the Centre cleared an ordinance drafted by the state government to circumvent the Supreme Court ban. On Saturday, Tamil Nadu Governor Vidyasagar Rao approved the ordinance allowing Jallikattu to be held across the state on Sunday.
In the age-old war between culture and tradition on one side and reform on the other, this battle has gone to the culturists. For Jallikattu is hardly the first cause that has leaned heavily on the culture crutch for support. Even where the campaign has been against more severe instances of socially and morally unjust practices, whether it be women’s suffrage in the US or women’s education, abolition of sati and child marriage and widow remarriage back home, or the movement against the caste system, over the years all of these have run into a solid wall of opposition based on what is perceived to be a part of “culture”.
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To give in to public sentiment once, sets a dangerous precedent, by giving everyone a chance to uphold any unjust practice in the name of culture.
Where then does one stop the slide back in time?http://www.hindustantimes.com/weekend/not-just-jallikattu-when-culture-clashes-with-the-law/story-D2dCeeK2yyUHkBJDjW5K8H.html
Yes there are cruel practices in each society, every country, and all religions. Is it justified?
[FONT="]Nationalism allied with emotion can make people do strange and sometimes stupid things. There is certainly a case for continuing Jallikattu in a modified form. Animal rights fundamentalists are often wrong, and even the Supreme Court can occasionally be mistaken. But the manner in which the Jallikattu protests are being furthered and represented does the Tamil people no justice. To reduce Tamil identity to Jallikattu is as farcical and tragic as the ongoing attempt to reduce Indian identity to the worship of the flag.[/FONT]
In the age-old war between culture and tradition on one side and reform on the other, this battle has gone to the culturists. For Jallikattu is hardly the first cause that has leaned heavily on the culture crutch for support. Even where the campaign has been against more severe instances of socially and morally unjust practices, whether it be women’s suffrage in the US or women’s education, abolition of sati and child marriage and widow remarriage back home, or the movement against the caste system, over the years all of these have run into a solid wall of opposition based on what is perceived to be a part of “culture”.
------------------------------------------------------------
To give in to public sentiment once, sets a dangerous precedent, by giving everyone a chance to uphold any unjust practice in the name of culture.
Where then does one stop the slide back in time?http://www.hindustantimes.com/weekend/not-just-jallikattu-when-culture-clashes-with-the-law/story-D2dCeeK2yyUHkBJDjW5K8H.html
Yes there are cruel practices in each society, every country, and all religions. Is it justified?
[FONT="]Nationalism allied with emotion can make people do strange and sometimes stupid things. There is certainly a case for continuing Jallikattu in a modified form. Animal rights fundamentalists are often wrong, and even the Supreme Court can occasionally be mistaken. But the manner in which the Jallikattu protests are being furthered and represented does the Tamil people no justice. To reduce Tamil identity to Jallikattu is as farcical and tragic as the ongoing attempt to reduce Indian identity to the worship of the flag.[/FONT]
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