After the Tamil Nadu Ordinance on Jallikattu, Karnataka has now demanded lifting of the ban on Kambala the traditional buffalo race in the State. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said his Government was in favour of holding the traditional buffalo race called Kambala. He demanded that the Centre should take a favourable stand as it did for Jallikattu in Tamil nadu.
He said, “We are in favour of Kambala, we are for Kambala. We pressurise the Union Government to take a stand in favour of this (Kambala), similar to the way in which it favoured Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.” To a question on large-scale protests planned by Kambala Committees, he said, “....they are protesting for Kambala, we are also in favour of Kambala.”
Inspired by the massive Jallikattu protests in Tamil Nadu, Kambala Committees had met in Mangaluru to strategise their agitation, where it was decided to hold a massive protest on January 28 in Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka.
Kambala, a traditional annual buffalo race in the marshy fields in coastal districts of the State, is also likely to be held as a mark of protest.
Karnataka High Court's Division Bench, headed by Chief Justice S K Mukherjee, in an interim order in November 2016 had stayed holding of Kambala on a petition by PETA challenging it in view of orders passed by the Supreme Court on Jallikattu.
Kambala Committees have filed an interim application, seeking vacation of the stay. The matter came up on Friday before the Division Bench of the High Court, which adjourned the case to January 30.
BJP also favoured lifting of ban on Kambala and said it has over thousand years of history and a folk form of the State. BJP State president BS Yeddyurappa said it has an emotional connect with the people.
“Ban on Kambala is an after effect, on the basis of the ban on Tamil Nadu's Jallikattu. The matter is coming before the High Court on January 30, I'm hopeful that we will get justice and there will be no need for any agitation...” he said.
Hoping that the Centre would take a favourable stand for getting approval for Kampala, he said, “The State Government should also approach the Centre, and for no reason should Kambala be stopped...”
like that of Jallikattu the support for the buffalo race in Karnataka too has gone viral in social media. Kambala is traditionally a simple sport which provides much needed entertainment to the rural people. The ‘track’used for Kambala is a paddy field filled with slush and mud. The contest generally takes place between two pairs of buffaloes, each pair raced in wet rice fields, controlled by a whip-lashing farmer. In olden days, the winning pair of buffaloes was rewarded with coconuts and a bunch of plantains and nowadays, gold coins, silver coins are given; in some competitions, cash award is also in vogue.
Some organising committees award eight gram gold coin as first prize. However, Kambala now has become an organised rural sport, with elaborate planning and timetable for Kambala at different places.
The ‘Kambala Committee’ is formed and it usually arranges Kambala in several categories like Kane Halage, Hagga Hiriya, Hagga Kiriya, Halage, Adda Halage etc. People place massive bets on the buffaloes to win and one can witness more than 20,000 spectators in a well-organised Kambala, egging on and cheering the buffaloes to complete the race.