Overview
- A Joint Action Committee of farmers', Dalit, environmental and Kannada organisations staged a protest in Mysuru on Saturday, July 18, and adopted six resolutions calling on the state to scrap the Dasara Kambala proposal.
- Organisers led by the Mysuru and Bengaluru Kambala Committee say 182 buffaloes have been registered and that preparations will start once the chief minister issues formal directions.
- Protesters demand transparent Dasara administration, priority for local art forms, fair distribution of passes and higher honoraria for regional artists, and they linked the dispute to calls for drought relief for farmers.
- Supporters argue mainstreaming Kambala would draw large crowds and funding — organisers estimate 2.5 to 3 lakh spectators — while opponents say the coastal buffalo race does not fit Dasara's heritage and religious character and that coastal stakeholders must be consulted.
- Karnataka politicians and activists are split on the issue, leaving a pending decision by the chief minister that will determine whether logistical, cultural and stakeholder consultations proceed or the plan is withdrawn.