Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court on Monday refused to lift the ban on Kambala.
It said that it would wait for the Supreme Court’s decision on Jallikattu on Tuesday, before it decides on Kambala.
The court had stayed the buffalo racing sport in November 2016 citing cruelty to animals on a petition by animal activists.
The Karnataka government on January 28 resolved to move amendment in the forthcoming legislature session from February 6th. This came after neighbouring Tamil Nadu amended laws to facilitate Jallikattu last week.
“We requested the court to allow Kambala with the provision that the expert committee set up in December to ensure there is no cruelty can oversee this. But the court noted that the case is coming up in Supreme Court, so let’s wait. It is adjourned by two weeks, but if the SC gives any order on Tuesday, we can move the high court once again by Wednesday,” said S Rajashekar, counsel for the Kambala Committee.
The state government has been arguing that there are vast differences between Jallikattu and Kambala – primarily that buffaloes are not among the animals notified as banned for sporting events by the Central government (as against bulls, which are banned). Besides, Kambala has not seen as much harm as Jallikattu which has recorded even deaths almost every year it has been held.
Kambala is typically held by farming families/ groups between November and February in the coastal Karnataka region.
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