Equestrian Statues at Anna Flyover Amid Horse Racing Ban

Speedy Summary:

• Two identical equestrian statues stand below the Anna Flyover in Chennai, Tamil nadu.
• A plaque on one statue mentions its installation as a memorial to the DMK government’s August 14, 1974 proclamation to ban horse racing.
• Horse racing had been held in madras as 1777 and continued for nearly two centuries.
• The Madras City Police and Gaming (Amendment) Act, 1949 empowered the government to ban horse racing but was unimplemented for decades.
• in 1974, the DMK government passed the Tamil Nadu Horse Races (Abolition of Wagering or Betting) Act. The ban was enforced by April 1, 1975 based on a poll promise made by the party.
• The move led to legal battles that persisted until 1996 when India’s Supreme Court ruled that horse racing involved skill rather than gambling.
• P.U. Shanmugam, former Public Works Minister from DMK (in office during this period), clarified in assembly discussions that there was no connection between installing the statues and banning races. Inscriptions linking them were added later.

Indian Opinion Analysis:

The history of Chennai’s equestrian statues below Anna Flyover reflects Tamil Nadu’s broader socio-political narrative where symbolic moves meet legislative action. While these installations commemorate an enterprising reform-the attempted banning of wagering on horse racing-it also reveals how policies often encounter prolonged legal scrutiny before acceptance or rejection is finalized. This instance highlights regulatory complexities surrounding distinguishing games of skill from gambling under Indian law.

From a cultural standpoint, Tamil Nadu’s approach toward prohibition measures has historically shaped local governance debates-signaling shifts not only within entertainment sectors like sport but also differing interpretations around ‘morality’ legislated into law across decades through judgments overturned practical priorities too .

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Source Link: The Hindu