Soundarya Rajinikanth’s recent appointment as a co-opted member of the Animal Welfare Board of India has met with some criticism. Pro-Jallikattu activists staged a massive protest in Trichy yesterday over this appointment, and also burned photos of the filmmaker.
The cause for the protests stems from the fact that the AWBI is one of the primary reasons Jallikattu was banned in Tamilnadu. The Jallikattu supporters are worried over Soundarya’s stand in the issue, as she has committed to working for an organisation that remains bullish in its attitude towards the ‘sport’.
Incidentally, the protests happened on the day of Soundarya’s 32nd birthday. “Soundarya is a co-opted member of the board. There are a hundred other members, who are all part of several committees that tackle the interests of the AWBI in its various forms. AWBI’s decision to co-opt Soundarya as a member of the board is not indicative of her personal opinion on the matter,” said a spokesperson for the filmmaker to Silverscreen.
Read : Taking The Bull By Its Horns: The Jallikattu Debate
As soon as reports of the protests were made public, Soundarya issued a clarification over her role in the AWBI. The official press release read:
Soundarya Rajinikanth,who is well versed in animation and computer graphics is honoured as the brand ambassador of animal welfare board of India and also as a part of performing animals sub committee.
She is receiving praises for this credit and her job is to monitor and survey the use of animals in the films.
She will ensure the safety of animals used in the films. She will also monitor the use of graphics in the film and will say whether the makers have used graphics or shot with real life animals.
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This is completely apt for her as she has in-depth knowledge in animation and she has also directed “Kochadaiyaan” which is an animation film.
A senior member with the AWBI told Huffpost that ‘it is immaterial what Soundarya’s stand on Jallikattu is as an individual, as the highest court of the land has already declared the barbaric act illegal’.