Despite ban, cockfight draws betting racket across AP

Visakhapatnam: Despite the ban on cockfights, which results in the death of roosters due to razor sharp knives tied to them, hundreds of crores of rupees changed hands as part of the age-old sport, dubbed very often as a blood sport.

During the three-day Sankranti festival, punters invest huge amounts in betting on the winning rooster across the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh mainly in Krishna and Godavari delta villages. Massive arrangements were made during the current year at arenas set up at agricultural fields with LED screens, parking lots, hoardings, deployment of bouncers for crowd control and possible group clashes apparently with the tacit support of local elected representatives and some of the officials.

"This is a high-profile betting event which is not possible without the patronage of higher-ups. Because of overwhelming support from the people, it is also not possible to stop it completely," Neerukonda Ramachandra Rao, an employee of Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, told Bizz Buzz.

"It is an age-old practice to take part in cockfights during the harvest festival. Hence, the traditional sport should not be stopped," said Narasapuram MP Raghuramakrishnam Raju. In Krishna district alone, over 300 cases were booked by arresting 1,000 people and seizing at least 140 roosters.

As part of Sankranti ritual, relatives settled in various cities as well as abroad come to their native villages to take part in the harvest festival. Stakes became very high in recent years with the NRIs and influential persons putting high amounts on their guess of winning the rooster. While each round of betting started with Rs 10,000, in Bhimavaram, known as a prominent hub for aquaculture, it went up to Rs 10 lakh, according to unconfirmed reports.

Women, children and others cheered lustily as the organisers conducted cockfights at various places. In some places, instead of cash transactions, only digital payments were accepted. In some places, counting machines were used wherever the stakes were very high. According to conservative estimates, around Rs 3,000 crore might have changed hands during the three-day festival.

The cockfights also led to the death of two persons in Kakinada and West Godavari districts. Before the festival, the police was involved in a publicity campaign appealing the people not to organise or take part in the cockfights. Cockfights are prohibited under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and Andhra Pradesh Gaming (Prohibition) Act, 1974. When the ban was challenged by some people on the ground that it was part of an age-old tradition, the Supreme Court upheld the legislation in 2018.

Incidentally, film celebrities including Ram Gopal Varma reportedly took part in a cockfight and V V Vinayak was seen at a bullfight. In some places bordering Tamil Nadu bullfights were conducted. In some places, MLAs inaugurated the fights.

Rooster business

Taking advantage of big money involved in cockfights, several techies and management graduates have started breeding roosters by feeding them highly nutritious food like cashews with periodical health checkup by veterinarians. Aseel breed, which is known for its killer instinct, fetched a premium amount with some birds being sold at over Rs 1 lakh each. Roosters grow fast due to use of antibiotics.

The roosters which die in the fights were also in high demand. The meat itself this time was sold for up to Rs1,000 a kg whereas poultry birds were priced at Rs 250 and country chicken at Rs700 per kg.