The sport of Kambala will continue in Karnataka for the time being. The Supreme Court has refused to stop it. The matter will be heard again on March 12th. Sidharth Luthra appeared in court on behalf of PETA and persuaded the court in favour of stopping the races from happening. He argued that the ordinance backing Kambala has lapsed and therefore the sport was no longer legally supported.
‘Kambala’, the sport
Kambala is a buffalo-racing sport that is played in Karnataka. The sport is particularly played in the month of December through March. It is usually played in the districts of South Karnataka. Kambala involves a pair of buffaloes raced against another pair led by a runner in a water-logged paddy field. The high adrenaline sport attracts a very large audience from around the state and the world every year because it is unique. But, the sport can also be quite dangerous when the raging buffaloes run towards the crowd with no fault of their own. The audience is also told to turn off the flash of their cameras as it might disturb the buffalo.
The fate of Kambala
The sport has received much criticism from PETA because of the toll it takes on the animals. It is a sport that is very often compared to Jalikattu. The problem is that sometimes the buffaloes are forced into a rage, to make them run faster. A lot of brutal means are used to produce the desired effect on the buffaloes There is a high amount of betting that goes on during the event which means more harmful means are used to make the desired buffaloes win the race. In 2017, an ordinance was issued allowing the sport to continue with a few changes in the rules. The final hearing on the fate of the sport has now been postponed to March 12, 2018.
Since Kambala is a traditional sport, there will be a lot of backlash from the rural public if the sport is illegalised. The problem is that people’s livelihoods are connected to the sport, as the buffaloes are taken care of particularly for the races which have a high prize money. The fight between what is traditional and what is rational will continue. But, the issue is that when animals’ lives are at stake, the court usually doesn’t take matters as seriously. This might be the last year the sport sees, but it might be for the best.