KHAMMAM: Despite restrictions and vigilance in the state, cockfight enthusiasts in Telangana are crossing over to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh to organise, take part in betting and witness the event. The organisers, in order to avoid police raids, are conducting cockfights in villages of Andhra Pradesh, located just half a kilometre from the Telangana border.
Cockfights have gained immense popularity and become a tradition in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, especially in the border villages and towns during the three-day Sankranti festival. Many in Andhra Pradesh view organising cockfights and betting as their right and an integral part of their Sankranti tradition.
In contrast to Telangana, where successive state governments attempted to impose restrictions, the ruling party in Andhra Pradesh has been more lenient. The current Congress government, however, seems determined to crack down on these events. Minister for Agriculture Tummala Nageswara Rao has instructed the police department to take strict measures against organisers. He has warned that those who conduct cockfights secretly will face severe consequences.
Responding to the government’s instructions, special teams formed by the police are conducting surprise raids, resulting in the arrest of organisers and participants. K Naga Raju, a resident of Chintapalli village in Dammapeta mandal, said that crores of rupees changed hands during three days of the festival. Industrialists, business tycoons, and software professionals have been participating and placing bets in the range of lakhs to crores, he added.
Organisers who previously earned large profits from events in Telangana are now conducting them in Andhra-Telangana border villages, located just half a kilometre to a kilometre away from Telangana.