Mysuru: After weeks of uncertainty, the state govt has decided to organise kambala during the Mysuru Dasara celebrations and has set up a sub-committee headed by the ZP CEO to host the event.Sources said the kambala event is scheduled for Oct 18 and 19, and around 130 pairs of buffaloes have been registered for the slush race competition. Work on the slush track at the proposed venue in east Mysuru is also under way.The event was initially proposed, but after a section of society opposed organising the rural sport popular in the coastal region, the issue remained in hibernation without a decision.This comes one month after activists from farmers, progressives and NGOs opposed organising kambala during the Mysuru Dasara celebrations. Even Mysuru MP Yaduveer opposed the move, saying it is not right for the govt to include another culture in Dasara celebrations, which are unique and reflect the sentiments of the people of Mysuru.District minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah had said that CM DK Shivakumar would take a call on the issue.Kambala was proposed to be organised at Sathagalli, near the VTU regional campus in east Mysuru. The event requires an approximately 250-metre-long slush track for traditional buffalo races, and work on the track appears to be under way.It may be recalled that about 40 trees were axed at the site to facilitate organising kambala, after which green activists joined the protest.
