Thousands of people from across the State arrived in the city on Saturday in protest of the ban against Kambala (slush track buffalo racing). The protesters – representing various organisations and even bringing along numerous buffaloes – took out a match from Ambedkar Circle (Jyothi Circle) to the Deputy Commissioner's office emphasising that the rural sport did not entail "any form of cruelty" to animals.
In mid-November, Udupi and Dakshina Kannada district administrations prohibited the traditional sport - conducted across the coast post-monsoon – following a request by the Animal Welfare Board of India based on a Supreme Court order on May 7 against cruelty towards animals in the guise of entertainment.
However, protesters said that in Kambala, participating buffaloes were not whipped. A buffalo can run across the 150 m slush track in 13.5 seconds, implying that the rider cannot "possibly" torture the buffalo in this short duration. The speed at which the buffaloes ran also indicated the propensity of the animal to sprint, making Kambala as much a game of skill as horse racing, said the protesters who gathered under the banner of the Kambala Organising Committee.
Apart from taking the legal route – the ban has been challenged by the Committee in the High Court – the protesters demanded political representatives from the district pressure the State and Central governments to exclude Kambala from the list of sports where animals are "tortured ".
