The State Government passed the ‘Kambala Bill’ in the Assembly on February 13 allowing traditional sport ‘buffalo race’ to be conducted in Karnataka. Now, the buffalo race and bullock carts racing where the animals are tied to a cart with the help of a wooden yoke, can be smoothly conducted.
Earlier on February 10, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017 was tabled in the Legislative Assembly in order to conduct Kambala.
The Minister for Animal Husbandry and Sericulture A Manju, tabled the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017, to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, in its application to Karnataka.
#FLASH Kambala Bill passed in Karnataka Assembly
— ANI (@ANI_news) February 13, 2017
The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (Central Act 59 of 1960) was enacted to prevent the cruelty on animals.
Kambala came under the scanner when stir was created to ban Jallikattu (taming of bull), which led to the state government bringing a similar amendment to the Central act. This led to the protest against the ban imposed on the traditional sport in Karnataka. Various Kambala Committees and Kannada organisations held protests at several places against the ban.
A Karnataka High Court Division Bench, headed by Chief Justice S K Mukherjee, had in November 2016, stayed holding of Kambala on a petition by the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) challenging it in view of orders passed by the Supreme Court on Jallikattu.
The bullock cart races are held in North Karnataka and Kambala in the coastal districts of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada.
