The native village of freedom fighter Pattabhi Sitaramayya, Gundugolanu, near the National Highway-5 turned a safe haven for violent cockfights on Wednesday, cocking a snook at the law enforcement agencies.
The sport began at around 2 p.m., though in a modest way, after the air of uncertainty caused by a high-profile police drive was cleared in the last minute. The birds, with their masters and revellers, started trickling into the battle ground spread over more than five acres. The numbers swelled into hundreds in no time, pandals sprang up to comfort the onlookers, clusters of small battle grounds came up around the bigger one, barricaded with iron fencing.
The bigger ground allowed only high stakes in the sports put by the players with a higher social and economic status, while the smaller ones catered to the common man. Later, organisers of “gundata’, `Kosu aata’ and `muudu mukkala aata’ found their way into the arena of cockfights, followed by unauthorised liquor outlets.
“It became a hassle-free affair after we secured permission from police and the local police retreated from the scene after taking Rs.10 lakh as bribe from the punters,” claimed a better, wishing not to be named. “I really felt regaled by the ferocity of the fighting roosters,” said a joyous Anuradha, who came all the way from Chennai to watch the sport. Iqbal Ahmed, who teaches photography in Ooty, finds no reason to ban, claiming that it was the most ‘amusing sport’.
The cockfights began all over the district in a similar fashion as the police pickets posted at the vulnerable places were mysteriously withdrawn in the last minute which was preceded by a high-level drama. The police planned to take the media to certain venues to highlight the police action against the promoters of the sport in Ganapavaram area. As the vehicle carrying the media personnel proceeded, it was brought back following a word from the senior police officers.
It all happened close on the heels of Government Whip Chintamaneni Prabhakar coming in a cart drawn by rams to DIG of Police, Eluru Range, P. Harikumar with a request for permission for cockfights. Later, he inaugurated the sport at Koppaka, under his native Denduluru constituency.
It became a hassle-free affair after we secured permission from police. They retreated from the scene after taking Rs.10 lakh as bribe
- A punter from Gundugolanu
