By Mohammed Shafeeq, IANS
Hyderabad : If it is Sankranthi, it has to be cockfight in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh. Though banned by the authorities, the sport continues to be held in the countryside and even some towns and cities, with bets running into millions of rupees.
In several parts of the state, especially in coastal Andhra, the cockfight is inseparable from Sankranthi, the festival that marks the beginning of the new harvest season.
Throwing the ban to the wind, several people including relatives of some powerful politicians, bet millions of rupees.
Cyberabad police Monday arrested 22 people on charges of betting in the state capital and seized about Rs.50,000 and 10 cell phones used for betting.
Big money is at stake on cockfights, which continues during the three-day festival that started Monday. Every year, police issue warnings to the organisers, who with the help of some powerful politicians manage to have their way.
Nowadays, the organisers are operating with ease thanks to mobile phones. The betting has also reached the cities.
In East Godavari and West Godavari districts, cockfight is a favourite pastime during the festival. A legislator reportedly sought permission from police to allow cockfights in his village as his supporters had invested huge sums of money.
In East Godavari district alone, the turnover in this illegal business crosses Rs.50 million. Police officials admitted that they had failed to control the illegal activity as the relatives of ministers and legislators are involved in the betting. They justify it as a “royal tradition” in their families.
At some places in the coastal region, the police arrested the organisers and seized the money as well as the birds. However, they are finding it difficult to keep the birds and feed them in the police stations for two days as the courts were closed on account of the festival.
Tribals are said to be obsessed with cockfighting but interest in the sport has caught on among others. People from far-off areas reach the tribal hamlets and villages to bet.
The bouts are organised in the open ground. It has the trappings of a big fair with jostling crowds, people shouting to egg on the birds, food vendors selling their ware, and the crowing of cocks.
Fed on the choicest mixture of corn and rice, the cocks are trained to fight till the end. Their cost ranges from Rs.500 to a few thousands of rupees, depending on their colour, character, shape and the neck ruff. The inherent aggression of the birds towards their rivals makes the game a keenly watched event.
The birds have sharp knives tied to their legs. As the birds leap and lunge at each other, the knives tear wounds in the rivals, even resulting in their death. The aggressive bird is usually the winner and its price goes up with its every victory.