Officials fail to scotch cockfights

Kakinada: Despite the court’s verdict, the cockfights were unstoppable in East Godavari district. The District Collector, Kartikeya Mishra along with the district SP Vishal Gunni, conducted a video conference with all the divisional and Mandal level officers and ordered them to form special teams to stop these cockfights.

The reluctant leaders of the ruling party paid a deaf ear to all these warnings. The Pithapuram MLA, SVSN Varma and Kakinada MP Thota Narasimham had publicly encouraged and organised cockfights on the closing day of the fifth phase of Janmabhoomi at Pithapuram.

Muramalla village in Konaseema region is famous for organising these rooster fights on a large scale. Here the cockfight organisers arranged tents, galleries for the punters with a facility of breakfasts and meals on the premises of the venue. The overall betting on these fights crosses over Rs 100 crore for these three days. The cocks for these fights were reared with special care and a nutritious diet.

The cocks are named according to their height, colour of the feathers and beak. The cockfight organisers usually tie three to four-inch razor-sharp knives to both the legs of the cocks. The win is declared only after the opponent cock dies or is fatally injured during the fight. The cost of a game rooster ranges anywhere between Rs 40,000 to Rs 1 lakh depending upon the breed.

The villages in Prathipadu, Jaggampeta, Tuni, Mummidivaram, Amalapurm constituencies are in full swing in organising these fights. The district administration and the police became helpless because of the rulers themselves encouraging this blood sport in the district in the name of tradition and culture.