Bengaluru: Do state governments rule over buffaloes (and their sport) or does the Centre has rights over buffaloes (and their protection)?
It may sound like an inane question, but the answer to this question will decide who has jurisdiction over restoring ‘Kambala,’ the ‘folk’ sport of buffalo-racing that’s been put on hold in the coastal Karnataka regions over the last three months, thanks to a jallikattu-like ban.
With jallikattu being given a righteous go-ahead with changes in law passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly over use of bulls for sport, there is a rising chorus in Karnataka too now to reinstate ‘Kambala'.
Weighing in, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the state government has always been supporting Kambala.
"Just as the Centre has stood with Tamil Nadu on the issue of Jallikattu, it should also endorse Kambala here," he told media persons.
Kambala was banned by the Karnataka High Court last November, following a petition by animal rights NGO People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA).
Kambala, usually hosted in the coastal Karnataka region as a ‘challenge’ between farming families/ landlords between November and February, involves racing between pairs of he-buffaloes on marshy paddy fields.
Animal rights activists had argued in courts that farmers used whips against their livestock, and this amounted to cruelty. This argument was upheld in the Karnataka High Court in the backdrop of the Supreme Court’s observations on jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, despite the State government telling the High Court that buffaloes were not in the six categories of cattle specified by the SC, plus Kambala did not showcase such aggression or cruelty to be equated with jallikattu.
“We will be calling a meeting of top officials now to decide how to take this forward, we are now on firmer footing, we have a say. Since the Central government has allowed such an ordinance, we will need to move forward to keep our sports alive too,” said Animal Husbandry Minister A Manju.
The question of Central government’s role in this comes up as Kambala had been stayed on the question of ‘cruelty,’ and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act is a Central one.
Manju’s statement comes in the backdrop of a threat to hold protests by a colleague from his own party – former Minister Abhayachandra Jain. Jain, who also heads the Kambala samiti in his Moodabidri constituency, announced on Monday in Mangalore that he would be leading the protest of over a 1,000 residents asking the Centre to allow Kambala, bypassing the Karnataka High Court stay.
“It’s a symbolic procession. More than 200 pairs of buffaloes will also be part of this. If Centre has allowed in Tamil Nadu, it cannot have a different law for Tulu Nadu,” he said.
Manju, who said he will review the State government’s efforts to allow Kambala before the season runs out in March, says farmers spend money and energy to rear buffaloes, and if such sports are not allowed, the buffaloes will end up in a more cruel fate at the butcher’s.
“Even a horse has four legs. The courts don’t have a problem allowing horse-racing. Then why not buffaloes. People have died when jallikattu is held, Kambala has never led to deaths,” he says, adding that BJP MPs from Karnataka must take this up with the Centre too and ensure its revival.
The Opposition BJP, which has also been taking up social media campaigns to ‘Save Kambala,’ in the wake of the ‘victory’ that Tamil protestors have seen, however says the Centre ‘did nothing’ to facilitate jallikattu. All that Prime Minister Modi said was that the Centre can’t intervene in a matter that’s sub judice.
It has been facilitated by an ordinance, followed up by an amendment to the laws, both of which were passed by the State government.
BJP MLA Suresh Kumar, who was earlier Law Minister in the previous regime, says if you consider Kambala a sport, it comes under the state. “It’s a State subject. Since the Karnataka Legislature session is set to begin on February 6th, they can even now draft an amendment and bring this in. The cases in High Court are based on prevailing laws. If that is amended, the case will become infructuous,” Kumar said.
The question of using of a whip or ‘cruelty’ remains, but if suitable terms and conditions are brought in to address this, that could go unchallenged, he says.
Buoyed by the jallikattu campaign, the buffalo-race will now pick up speed.
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