Bantwal, 26 Nov 2014: It’s owing to wrong conception by the government constituted Animal Welfare Board that Kambala, the buffalo race, an ancient heroic art of coastal district faces the threat of banning in the guise of Supreme Court judgment. It’s condemnable, said district Kambala jurors Committee convener Rajeev Shetty Yedtoor.
Addressing the media persons at the conference held at B C Road, here on Tuesday November 25, Rajeev said that the owners of Kambala buffaloes, office bearers of Kambala Committee and Kambala enthusiasts will stage a massive protest at Mangalore on Saturday November 29, to oppose the ban on Kambala that has history of thousands of years.
Rajeev further said that if Animal Welfare Board advocates that buffaloes are terrorized to take part in Kambala, then they got to ban using decorated elephant to carry heavy crown during Dasara in Mysore and police force using canine squad, said Rajeev.
In the Supreme Court judgment, it has specially referred to torturous sport at Jallikattu in Uttar Karnataka and Kambala is another addition by the Animal Welfare Board, clarified Rajeev.
Kambala is being held as worship in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts, while over 50 such events are celebrates as village festivals. There lies also religious belief behind a few Kambala events. The ban would disregard all that, added Rajeev.
Kambala sponsor Padmashekar Jain, Sitaram Shetty, John Cyril D’Souza, Claudy D’Cruz, and others were present.