BENGALURU: With the clamour growing for organising ‘Kambala’, a traditional annual buffalo race held in Dakshina Kannada district, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Monday said his government was in favour of holding it and asked the Centre to take a favourable stand as it did for jallikattu in Tamil Nadu. BJP MP Sadananda Gowda, actor Shivarajkumar and several others too have come out in support of Kambala.
To a question on large-scale protests planned by Kambala committees, Siddaramaiah said “....they are protesting for Kambala, we are also in favour of Kambala.”
Spurred by the jallikattu stir in Tamil Nadu, Kambala committees met in Mangaluru on Sunday to strategise their agitation, where it was decided to hold a massive protest on January 28 in Moodbidri in Dakshina Kannada district.
At a separate event, Union Minister of Statistics and Programme Implementation D V Sadananda Gowda said it is not appropriate to intervene now as the matter is in the court.
The Karnataka High Court had granted an interim stay in November 2016 against holding Kambala events during the current season. Last year, however, Kambala races were held with some regulations imposed by the local district administration.
Sadananda Gowda said he would speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the issue. Extending his support for Kambala, he said it should remain as a cultural event.
On Sunday, the State unit of the BJP had extended its support for the event after BJP leaders tweeted in its favour. Among the leaders who had backed it included State party president B S Yeddyurappa, C T Ravi and Arvind Limbavali.
Calling Kambala a folk festival with over a thousand-year history, Yeddyurappa said it has an emotional connect with the people. He added, “The issue is before the High Court. Protesters who are demanding Kambala must show restraint. I am confident that the court verdict will come in favour of those who are fighting for Kambala.”
Actor Shivarajkumar said people from across the State should bat for Kambala. “We should unite like the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said at a Road Safety event here. He ridiculed arguments put forth by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), and dared them to launch a campaign to ban biryani.
While backing Kambala, State JD(S) president H D Kumaraswamy said the State government had failed to convince the court in lifting the ban on the buffalo race. “While Tamil Nadu witnessed a massive agitation for jallikattu cutting across political lines, we, in Karnataka, are not united in our fight. We too will have to emulate the people of Tamil Nadu, then the path will be cleared for Kambala,” he said.