With government mounting pressure to stop cockfights during Sankranti, student unions and some NGOs are organising sports and games to wean away youth from participating in rooster fights and other banned games. Villagers organise cockfights along with gambling, gundata and other games in coastal districts, from Bhogi to Kanuma especially in West and East Godavari, Krishna and other districts.
Irrespective of gender, realtors, bullion merchants, software professionals, film personalities and traders from Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and other State throng AP to enjoy the blood sport.
Youth and even school children participate along with family members. Punters will invest huge amount.
The SFI West Godavari (Bhimavaram) unit organised volleyball competitions at the K.G.R.K. College in which many teams from different institutions participated.
Police target students
“The government is taking steps to enforce the High Court orders on cockfights but is not taking measures to engage the youth and students. The police are booking cases against students who are near the arenas,” said SFI district president A. Manikanta.
“We request the government, the student unions and the NGOs to conduct kabaddi, kho-kho, shuttle, basketball, volleyball and other events to prevent youth from getting addicted to cockfights and gambling,” said SFI district secretary M. Shiva Raju.
The police should encourage ‘banda lagudu’, ‘bullock cart shows’, ‘tug of war’, ‘pet dog shows’, agriculture and dairy product exhibitions and other shows, said an NGO representative.
DYFI district secretary A. Arun and SFI former West Godavari district president G.L.V. Gopalan also aired similar views.