Andhra legislators join in cockfights despite ban
By IANSThursday, January 14, 2010
HYDERABAD - Throwing to wind the ban and police warnings on cockfights, legislators and other public representatives in Andhra Pradesh openly participated in the gambling sport on the occasion of Sankranti Thursday.
The coastal Andhra region witnessed cockfights in dozens of villages. In West Godavari district, Polavaram legislator T. Balaraju of the ruling Congress participated in the cockfight.
Another legislator from the district C. Prabhakar of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) also turned up with his supporters to participate in the cockfight.
The cockfights, a part of the festivities in coastal Andhra, involve millions of rupees. Despite the ban, every year politicians, their relatives, businessmen and landlords bet huge amounts of money on this blood sport.
The fights between the specially-bred and trained cocks are organised in sprawling fields as thousands watch them. Three to four inch-long blades are tied to the cocks’ legs and the fight continues till one of the two cocks dies in each round.
People in cars and on bikes zipped in from villages and towns to participate in the cockfights, which involved an estimated Rs.2 billion in East Godavari, West Godavari and Krishna districts of coastal Andhra.
Taking a serious view of this gambling sport, police Wednesday warned strict action. Mahesh M. Bhagwat, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Eluru Range, even threatened to put in police records as “rowdies” those participating in the cockfights.
Police had put up check posts to prevent the cockfights. However, the elected representatives brought pressure on the police, arguing that cockfights were part of the people’s tradition and the cops should not view it merely as a gambling sport.
