Kaptipada: Large crowds cheering for cockfights are routine affair in Kaptipada block of Mayurbhanj district despite the administration banning such fights on grounds of animal cruelty.
Cockfights are especially common in this area between Christmas and Makar Sankranti every year where men bring in their specially-bred and trained fighter cocks to the weekly markets such as Sarat, Chakradharpur, Nabara and Rugudi and organise fights. Hundreds of people bet their livelihood and more in the game.
Drunk men watching the fight often bet money as high as Rs 30-40,000 per match – a sum well over the annual income for many in this area. Losing the bets often leads to violence, and has proven to be a costly affair for many families in the past. However, there seems to be nothing to stop it in absence of law enforcement.
When questioned, IIC of Sarat police station Rina Batsal says, “I have been consistently chiding people against conducting cockfights; however, some people are still doing it here and there. I will work towards bringing an end to it.”
Sukul Hembram, a cock trader from Chakradhadharpur panchayat, meanwhile says that raising these special cocks is a lucrative business as some of these birds sell for Rs 30 to 40 thousand. The price depends upon the colour and height of the bird, he adds.
PNN