Bengaluru Kambala: No deviation from the court orders says organisers

Bengaluru: Even while hectic preparations are being made in Bengaluru palace grounds to hold Kambala races (slush track buffalo races), the anti animal cruelty activists have raised issues that the Bengaluru Kambala event cannot be held in the entereity of folk spirit and cannot be held in Bengaluru. They point out that the event can be purely for commercial and entertainment purposes and not for preserving culture and folklore.

The Kambala in Bengaluru has no validity, as traditionally the Kambala events are organised in Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada, parts of Kasargod in north Kerala and Shivamogga district as a post Khariff harvest events in the true spirit of sustaining the spirit of agrarian folklore of the region. Bengaluru city does not have both qualities.

The MLA from Puttur Ashok Rai has who is the chief organiser of the Kambala event in Bengaluru, has however allayed the fears of any misgivings in the wake of this event. “We have taken care of every aspect of the safety and comfort of the animals despite it being a massive operations. We might take not less than 125 pairs of Buffaloes to Bengaluru in well secured trucks with adequate rest on the way, food, and water. Each pair will have human attendants to comfort them and a group of veterinary doctors. Even at the venue of Kambala in Bengaluru, has been made for the buffaloes, which resemble their own shelters back home. The owners of the Buffaloes were apprehensive of the safety of their animals, when the event was first mooted, but after going through the project report they have agreed to take part”

Ashok Rai told Hans India that “all the recommendations of the Supreme Court made in the order of 2017 will be followed assiduously and special care takers have been assigned to oversee this event in accordance with the court orders”.

The Supreme Court Constitutional Bench has given a historic verdict on allowing full-scale Kambala competition on the coast and Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, with this the anxiety that was plaguing the kambala sport for the past few years has gone away.

The constitution bench of the Supreme Court dismissed the petitions challenging the constitutionality of the laws allowing Jallikattu, Kambala and bullock cart racing in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra, which are part of the cultural heritage of the people. The Judiciary held that it cannot be seen from a different angle.

A constitution bench comprising Justices KM Joseph, Ajay Rastogi, Aniruddha Bose, Hrishikesh Roy and CT Ravikumar upheld the law allowing carpet and bullock cart races in Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Kambala, which had been in a legal battle since 2014, was halted in 2016-17, against which there was a massive struggle in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district with widespread outrage. Later, through the President's Ordinance and Bill amendment, all carpets have been running successfully since 2017-18 without any hindrance. The total hearing of the petitions submitted to the Supreme Court by the Tamil Nadu Jallikattu Viruddapeta organisation seeking the cancellation of the Karnataka Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act-2017 (Second Amendment), which allowed for the Tulu Nadu Folk Sports Carpet, was transferred to the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court.