Mysuru
A Joint Action Committee comprising the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Dalit Sangharsha Samithi, Parisarakagi Naavu, Bhoomi Thaayi Horata Samithi, Kannada and progressive organisations and other groups urged former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah to advise the State Government against organising Kambala as part of the Mysuru Dasara festivities this year.
The committee members met the former CM and submitted a memorandum requesting him to direct the incumbent government not to hold Kambala during Mysuru Dasara it would undermine the unique identity and traditional character of the world-famous Mysuru Dasara.
They pointed out that the festival had already expanded considerably with events such as Yuva Dasara, Yuva Sambhrama, Women’s Dasara, Children’s Dasara and Raitha Dasara. The resultant crowds, traffic congestion, air and noise pollution and accumulation of garbage were causing inconvenience to residents, they claimed.
“Amid the noise and extravagance, the unique features and traditional practices of Dasara are gradually getting overshadowed,” the committee said.
The committee said Kambala was a traditional rural sport rooted in the culture and geographical conditions of coastal Karnataka and Tulu Nadu. While respecting the sport and its traditions, it argued that transporting it to Mysuru and incorporating it into Dasara was inappropriate. It also claimed that opposition to holding Kambala at Mysuru was not confined to the city, stating that sections of people in the coastal region were also against moving the event outside its traditional setting.
Referring to the high-level Dasara meeting held in Bengaluru on July 10, the committee welcomed the reported suggestion that Dasara celebrations should be extended to other districts to showcase their local art, culture and literature.
Such decentralisation would help make Dasara a true “Nada Habba” and provide opportunities to local artists and traditional cultural forms, it said.
The committee also raised concerns over the expenditure and environmental implications of the proposed Kambala event. It questioned the proposal to bring around 400 buffaloes and nearly 20,000 people to Mysuru for a two-day event.
It further objected to the proposed clearing of vegetation on 25.28 acres of land for creating the Kambala track, alleged plans to close the Sathagalli Lake and the use of large quantities of water at a time when the State was facing water-related concerns.
With farmers in several parts of Karnataka facing rainfall deficiency and crop losses, the Government should prioritise addressing agrarian distress rather than spending on what it termed an unnecessary event, the committee said.
The members urged the Government to instead focus on correcting shortcomings in the Dasara celebrations, promoting local art and artists, ensuring proper remuneration and treating artistes with dignity.
Recalling that Siddaramaiah had opposed the Kambala proposal when it was mooted during Dasara last year, the committee appealed to him to once again advise the Chief Minister to drop the proposal.
The letter was signed by A.T. Ramaswamy, Darshan Puttannaiah, Major General (Retd.) Sudhir Ombatkere, Indudhar Honnapur, Guruprasad Keragodu, Badagalapura Nagendra, Parashurame Gowda, M.G. Sadanandaiah, Kalachanne Gowda, Bhanumohan, Mansoor Ahmed, Ravi Bale and Prabha Nandish.
