Kambala starts today, Supreme Court to hear plea on Monday

Mangaluru: While the Kambala season is set to take off in  Dakshina Kannada  and Udupi districts with the first buffalo race in Moodabidri on Saturday, there’s much uncertainty about its future with the Supreme Court expected to hear a plea against it on November 13. 

Animal rights activists are objecting to the traditional sport, claiming  it tortures the buffaloes, whose anatomy is not made for racing. After staying the sport briefly in response to their concerns, the state government passed an ordinance amending the Prevention of Cruelty Act to allow Kambala and received the green signal from the President for  its Prevention of Cruelty to Animal (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance 2017" on July 3 this year. 

But not giving up, the activists have approached the Supreme Court against the ordinance and  it has issued notices to the state and Union governments, asking their representatives to appear before it on November 13.

"Activists have been arguing that the anatomy of the buffalo is not fit for running. This is a very strong argument which we need to fight,” Kambala Academy president, Gunapal Kadamba told  Deccan Chronicle.

"The only solution  is to prove that the anatomy of the buffalo makes it fit to run. We  consulted experts on this and have got a report in our favour. But the state government too should have a study done by an anatomist and  veterinary experts to establish if the buffalo breeds used in Kambala are fit for racing. If these experts  certify that the anatomy of the buffalo makes it  fit to run, it will be easy to tackle the activists. Until the government does such a study there will always be the fear of Kambala being banned," he added.