Mangaluru: Scholars are documenting inscriptions, folk narratives and other documents related to ‘Kambala’, the traditional annual buffalo race of the state's coastal districts in an attempt to save it from being banned in response to claims of cruelty by animal rights activists.
Kambala has been facing rough weather with the Supreme Court banning Jallikattu, a bull taming sport in Tamil Nadu. The Karnataka government, which passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 2017 to protect Kambala, has been challenged by animal rights organisation, PETA in the Supreme Court.
Hoping to prove that holding of Kambala is a cultural right and does not involve any cruelty to animals, experts are now trying to collect all the necessary documents to back their claim. “Kambala is closely knit with the culture of Tulunadu. It is associated with religious rituals and held traditionally as part of ‘Kolas’, or temple festivals. It is believed that buffalos need to race in slush in villages to appease the gods," explains Mr Gunapala Kadamba of the Kambala Academy, adding that the sport goes back over six centuries. “We have many inscriptions relating to the preparations for Kambala Gadde, donation of Kambala fields and so on dating back five centuries. We intend to collect more evidence and bring it to the notice of the court,” he adds.
Experts also feel the government needs to commission a study to prove that the anatomy of buffalos used for Kambala lends itself to the sport.
Meanwhile, the Kambala Samithi has approached the Supreme Court to allow it to implead in the case saying it has all the necessary documents to counter PETA.
