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Andhra: Dip in fish biz, police vigil dampen cockfight fervour
Like every year, the police have been campaigning extensively in rural areas, warning people against playing cockfights, especially in areas traditionally known for the blood sport
Come Sankranti festive season, the rural areas of coastal Andhra Pradesh, especially erstwhile combined districts of East Godavari and West Godavari, will witness a frenzied sport of cockfights involving crores of rupees, notwithstanding stringent restrictions by the police.
Hundreds of arenas are set up across the Godavari belt for playing this blood sport, in which two trained roosters fitted with razor-sharp blades and knives on their legs are pitched against each other for a fight. The fight continues till one of the cocks faces death or backs off.
The sport is not just entertainment for viewers but a big money-spinning gamble. “More than ₹1,500 crore to ₹2,000 crore changes hands in three days of the festival – Bhogi, Sankranti and Kanuma every year in the form of betting. Depending on the stakes involved, the betting ranges from ₹50 lakh to ₹10 crore on each fight,” said A Swamy, a local enthusiast of cockfights from Bhimavaram in West Godavari district.
However, this year, enthusiasm is said to be missing in many parts of the Godavari district. “Normally, one would witness the setting up of arenas for cockfights at least two weeks in advance. Hundreds of roosters participating in the games are groomed for a long time and made battle-ready. Those who take part in the betting on roosters pump in money and deposit the same with the mediators who monitor the cockfights by now,” he said.
There has not been much activity in the villages as the festival is set to begin on Saturday.
“Not many arenas have been built this season in the rural areas, except in some places like Bhimavaram and Narasapuram. The allied activities like setting up of make-shift restaurants, liquor outlets and cultural activities are also glaringly missing this year,” Narasaraju, a local businessman from Bhimavaram, said.
According to Swamy, the main reason for this lack of enthusiasm for cockfights this year is the loss of economic activity in the Godavari districts. Aquaculture is the primary source of income for the people in this belt. They make big money through the export of shrimp, prawns and fish in a big way every year.
“But this year, there is a huge slump in aquaculture due to a lack of demand in the export market. The business is down, and there is no liquid cash even with big business people to bet on cockfights,” Swamy said.
Industrialist and YSR Congress party MP from Narasapuram Kanumuru, Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju, has refused to believe it. “Yes, there is a slump in the aquaculture business this year, but it is not a dampener on the cockfight which is our traditional sport for ages. We are expecting that the game will pick up from Friday and continue till the Sankranti festivities end,” he said.
Raju, who has not been able to visit his native place to take part in the cockfights for the third consecutive year due to police restrictions, said according to his information, the arenas for cockfights are being set up in his area and a minimum of ₹50 lakh is being bet on each fight.
Like every year, the police have been campaigning extensively in rural areas, warning people against playing cockfights, especially in areas traditionally known for the blood sport.
“We have put up banners everywhere warning the people against indulging in betting in cockfights,” West Godavari district police superintendent U Ravi Prakash said. He said raids would be carried out in coordination with the revenue and special enforcement bureau to destroy the arenas where the cockfights would be conducted.
In West Godavari, as many as 2,100 bind over cases were booked against punters and organisers and issued notices to 150 knife manufacturers. “The state high court banned cockfights in 2017 and it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. So, any such activity is illegal,” the SP said.
The strict vigilance by the police is also one of the factors for making the cockfights a low-key affair. “But when the cockfights begin on the night of January 13, the local police turn a blind eye. So, this year also, the situation might not be different in the next three days,” Raju said.
Another reason for the lack of much cash flow this year into the cockfights is the talk that the state might go in for early elections this year. “Normally, politicians bet big money on cockfights. But this being the election year, they do not take the risk of losing money in the betting. That could be one of the reasons for the cockfights turning into a low-key affair this year,” Raju added.
