Kambala in Bengaluru: CM clears grant of Rs 1 crore

Bengaluru: Even while animal rights activists are preparing to go legal against the Kambala event organised by Ashok Rai, the MLA of Puttur, in Bengaluru later this month, Chief Minister S. Siddaramiah has cleared Rs. 1 crore grant for the Kambala event in Bengaluru. According to Ashok Rai, the grant has been released.

This is the first time that Kambala (Slush track buffalo race), a coastal folk sport, has been organised in the capital city of Bengaluru, and Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar has been appointed as the Honorary President of the Bengaluru Kambala Committee by the Kambala Committee. After the call, many ministers visited the Palace Maidan, where the Kambla slush track was being prepared, and inspected it.

He had earlier announced that he would provide all kinds of cooperation from the government. MLA Ashok Rai said that famous Bollywood actresses and celebrities will come to Kambala, and at least 5 to 8 lakh people are expected to visit.

But what Ashok Rai and the Karnataka government are oblivious to is the fact that animal rights organisations and other rights activists are planning to oppose the event. The activists said that it is taxing on the animals to travel about 375 kilometres on trucks in trying conditions of the roads, moreover, the event is a local coastal event and held only within the jurisdiction of the coastal Karnataka districts and parts of Kerala.

However, the organisers told Hans India that they have addressed concerns about the well-being of the animals during this event. Ashok Rai has assured, saying, “We have taken comprehensive measures to ensure the safety and comfort of the animals, despite the event’s considerable scale. We will transport approximately 125 pairs of buffaloes to Bengaluru in secure trucks equipped with rest areas, food, and water. Each pair will be accompanied by human attendants and a team of veterinary doctors. Furthermore, we’ve created an environment at the Bengaluru venue that resembles the buffaloes’ home shelters.”

Initially, the owners of the buffaloes were apprehensive about the safety of their animals when the event was first proposed. However, after reviewing the project report, they have agreed to participate. Ashok Rai confirmed that “we will diligently follow all the recommendations of the Supreme Court, as outlined in their 2017 order. Special caretakers have been assigned to oversee the event in compliance with the court’s directives.”

The recent historic verdict by the Supreme Court Constitutional Bench, allowing full-scale Kambala competitions on the coast and Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, has alleviated the concerns that had plagued the Kambala sport in recent years. The bench dismissed petitions challenging the constitutionality of laws permitting Jallikattu, Kambala, and bullock cart racing in the states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Maharashtra, considering them integral to the cultural heritage of the people. The judiciary maintained that these traditions should be upheld. Kambala had been entangled in a legal battle since 2014 and was halted in 2016-17, leading to widespread protests in the undivided Dakshina Kannada district. Subsequently, through a Presidential Ordinance and Bill amendment, all Kambala events have been running smoothly since 2017-18.

The petitions filed by the Tamil Nadu Jallikattu Viruddapeta organization, seeking the cancellation of the Karnataka Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act-2017 (Second Amendment) that allowed Tulu Nadu Folk Sports Carpet, were transferred to the Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court for consideration.