Kambala is legal now as Prez gives nod

President inks the ordinance making it legal to conduct traditional sports Kambala Bullock Cart race, bull race and catching the bull sports also legal. This will help conserve the local breeds of cattle, preserve the tradition says CM. Now, PETA cannot go for legal fight against cattle sports.  

President Pranab Mukherjee has signed the Ordinance making it legal to hold popular folk sports of Kambala in Dakshina Kannada. The ordinance also made catching the bull - Kobbari Hori in North Karnataka, bulls race, bullock cart race legal but with a condition that the animals must not be subjected to unnecessary pain or harm.

With this approval of the promulgation of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Ordinance, 2017, the President has put to rest all debates about Kambala, which was drawn into unnecessary controversy being compared to Jallikattu of Tamil Nadu. The Supreme Court had banned Jallikattu citing cruelty to animals, amidst huge public debate and protests. Tamil Nadu government then passed an Ordinance and legalised Jallikattu, reports Kannada Prabha.

Karnataka Government also followed the same method and passed a bill on Feb 13 and submitted it to the Governor, who had forwarded it to the President Pranab Mukherjee. The President had called for certain clarifications and sent it back. On May 5, the legislative assembly discussed the points raised by the President, clarifications were incorporated and passed an Ordinance and submitted to The President for approval. An official communication from the Home Ministry states that the Ordinance has been signed by the President.

However, an interim stay order, banning Kambala, bullock cart race, catching the bull, issued in November 2016, is pending in Karnataka High Court. In the circumstance of the President passing the Ordinance, vacating the stay order should not be difficult.

Responding to the President’s green signal to the Ordinance, the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed happiness and said this will help conserve the local breeds of cattle and also preserve the tradition.

Ashok Rai, Kambala organiser in mangaluru said this is a victory not just of the coastal region but of the entire people of the State. This is a symbol of victory. People’s protest will definitely be heard. Now the probability of PETA resorting to legal fight has diminished and all anxieties about preserving a folk sports has been nullified.

It can be recalled that the State legislators had insisted not to equate Kambala with Jallikattu, as there is not a single case of death reported during Kambala. Also the Kambala bulls are treated like family and barring the days of Kambala they are kept very comfortably.