The traditional Kambala festival (buffalo racing in slush) in the Dakshina Kannada region should be saved for the next generation by making it free of violence, a team of experts has said.
The team from the Veterinary University in Bidar which took part in the proceedings of the event at Miyar near here yesterday suggested that those who wanted to preserve the event should concentrate more on avoiding violence than trying to get immunity from rules by arguing in courts.
The experts, led by the University Dean Vasant Shetty, had reached Miyar to have a direct view of how the festival was being held.
The team felt that buffaloes were required only to cover a pre-specified distance at Kambala festivals, and the animals were never used for either exhibition or perform any acts.
The Kambala festivals, facing the threat of a permanent ban, could be saved if the aspect of non-violence was strictly adhered to, they noted.
The committee members said in a release here that they would submit a report on their findings and recommendations to the government. The team had visited the Kambala event as directed by the Minister for Law and Animal husbandry TB Jayachandra.
