Ban or no ban, cocks fight

Officials turning a blind eye to the blood sport

Vijayawada/Eluru/Rajahmundry: Cockfights are being staged in Krishna, West and East Godavari districts despite the apex court allowing ban on them on Tuesday. Even the State government instructed district administrations to stop this activity. But it did not seem to have made any impact on enthusiasts.

Cockfights began in earnest as part of Sankranti festivities. There are tailor-made roosters for sale. Price of each rooster varies between Rs 10,000 and Rs 50,000. They are available in several colours. The birds are groomed from by feeding them with highly nutritious food which include cashew nuts and sometimes meat also.

Despite the ban imposed by the apex court, the cockfights are continuing. The authorities appear to have turned a blind eye to the gamecocks waging fight against each other like combatants in war. Reports say drugs are administered to energise cocks to fight ferociously. Even knives are tied to them during the fights. Such acts come under cruelty towards animal and the law unequivocally prohibits them. The Section 11 (N) clearly states that animal fights are tantamount to cruelty and thus outlawed.

Since cockfights are justified on the grounds of history, culture, tradition etc, someone may argue what is wrong with cockfights when we kill them for meat. But, the apex clearly spelt out that any judicial interpretation on cockfights cannot be based on the views of the owners, spectators or the organisers of such fights and their interests in continuing such fights in the name of so-called culture or tradition.

Cockfights are unacceptable even as per Indian philosophical thought. As early as 1500-600 BC in Isha-Upanishads, it is professed as follows: “The universe along with its creatures belongs to the land. No creature is superior to any other. Human beings should not be above nature. Let no one species encroach over the rights and privileges of other species.”