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Tamil Nadu police showed urgency in evicting peaceful pro-Jallikattu protesters from Marina Beach

The Tamil Nadu police showed urgency in evicting peaceful pro-Jallikattu protesters from the Marina Beach, presumably because the state wanted to secure the iconic landscape for Republic Day celebrations. The state also might not have wanted any issue or event to overshadow the celebrations. The use of force for dispersing the protesters underlined the state’s capability to assert its power in the face of a popular uprising.

The Republic Day is an apt occasion for us to ask whether “Republicanism” has taken root in our country and whether our citizenship is in practice bolstered by constitutionally guaranteed rights. We must contemplate