Bengaluru Kambala: Traditional sport will be defended in court, says MLA Ashok Rai

Team Udayavani, Oct 23, 2024, 8:46 AM IST

Puttur: MLA Ashok Kumar Rai, Honorary President of the Bengaluru Kambala Association, has announced that he will take legal action in a personal capacity to defend the conduct of Kambala in Bengaluru. This decision follows a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) in the Karnataka High Court seeking a ban on Kambala in the city.

The PIL was filed by advocate Dhyan Chinnappa before the High Court’s Chief Justice N.V. Anjaria and Justice K.V. Aravind on Monday. PETA argued that bringing buffaloes from Dakshina Kannada to Bengaluru is distressing for the animals and causes them undue hardship.

Addressing the media, MLA Rai mentioned that this development occurred just as preparations were underway for organizing Kambala in Bengaluru. He stated that when they had previously submitted an affidavit to the court, it was mentioned that Kambala was traditionally conducted in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. Based on this, PETA has sought to restrict Kambala to these districts and prevent its conduct elsewhere, including Bengaluru. However, Rai clarified that their affidavit did not mention any restrictions on holding Kambala outside these regions.

Rai further stated that he filed an individual petition through his lawyers in the High Court on October 22, seeking to be considered as a respondent to provide supplementary information on behalf of the government. He emphasized that he will continue the legal battle to ensure that Kambala is allowed in Bengaluru.

PETA’s Objections to Bengaluru Kambala

PETA has a history of opposing the traditional sport of Kambala, having previously filed petitions in both the High Court and Supreme Court seeking a ban on the sport. Kambala enthusiasts had staged protests in response to these efforts. Following these protests, an ordinance was passed, and later amendments to the law were made to permit the conduct of Kambala.

Now, with PETA’s renewed opposition to Bengaluru Kambala, Kambala supporters are once again expressing their outrage at the efforts to restrict the sport.