Protest against Mysuru Dasara-Kambala

Mysuru: Sathagalli protest links Dasara Kambala to unpaid civic labour and drought stress Campaigners urge Mysuru to divert race funds toward pourakarmika welfare Plans to stage Kambala during Dasara drew a protest from environmentalists at Sathagalli in Mysuru.

Campaigners opposed to the race stood at the location where preparations were already under way and voiced their objection directly. Higher salaries for civic workers, they argued, should take priority over holding Kambala in the festival season. The state continues to face drought and water difficulties, which led the environmentalists to say the race serves no need at present.

Whatever resources the event would consume ought to reach essential sectors instead. Expenditure planned for organising Kambala should be turned toward raising the wages of pourakarmikas and supporting their welfare, since those workers carry the burden of keeping the city clean. Environmentalists and anti-Kambala campaigners both took part at Sathagalli and demanded that authorities abandon any Kambala scheduled for Dasara.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Hans India