Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 3: The Kambala bill passed at the state level and sent to the union government for Presidential assent is likely to be referred back to the state. The bill has been with the centre for long, and reviewed by various ministries before it faced stumbling block at the last stage.

A high level meeting of state officials is being held at New Delhi with central officials on May 7 where a final decision will be taken about the fate of Kambala bill. If the central government officials allow inclusion of the clause that the state government will frame rules and conditions on Kambala, the file can get approval at the centre. But as per information, this chance is bleak.

It is learnt that the bill does not mention about conditions and rules relating to Kambala and also quantum of punishment for those who violate the rules. Because of this technical omission, the bill is being sent back for ammendment. While Tamil Nadu government had framed rules when preparing bill on Jallikattu, the bill sent by Karnataka does not mention about conditions and rules, and also who would be framing them.

The environment ministry at the centre had raised this objection initially, but after the state government said it would frame rules on its own, it had forwarded it for further processing. The law ministry had objected to the 'no comments' note on the bill by the environment ministry and asked it to note proper comments. The bill had cleared these stages and then gone to the secretary in the home ministry where this defect again came to the fore.

Undivided Dakshina Kannada district Kambala Samiti has called for a meeting of committee members, people owning racing buffalos, and Kambala fans at Kambala venue at Miyar at 3 pm on May 8. President of the committee Shantaram Shetty Barkur has urged all the concerned to assemble at the venue for a meaqningful discussion on the issue of problems faced by Kambala.

Shantaram Shetty Barkur said that if the bill is returned, the state government will have to bring ammendments to it and get it passed in both assembly and council before sending it back for approval again. "The legislative session is being held in July. We have three more months from then to get the bill passed. We are sure that the President will approve the bill within this period," he stated.

Kambala Academy convener Gunapal Kadamba said that the Kambala fans are disillusioned by this development. He thought that the bill required additional pressure from state's people's representatives for its free passage. He however asseted that the bill will become law soon and Kambala will be a reality in the next season.

It may be recalled that the state governor had sent the bill to centre, as he felt it needed the President's approval as ammendment was brought to a central law by the state. The bill was in various stages of consideration till now. It is surprising that several legal luminaries from the state including former law minsters at the centre, who actively followed up the issue of getting permission for Kambala, could not realize in advance that the bill suffered from technical defect.

Union minister D V Sadananda Gowda had intervened in the issue and tried to solve the problem at the centre, but after discussions, it is felt that sending the bill back would be the ideal solution considering issues involved. There are many from the state who feel that it would be better if the state frames the rules instead allowing the centre to meddle with them, as central government officials who are ignorant about Kambala may impose conditions that are impracticable to satisfy.