Endless Saga of roosters in Delta region

Vijayawada: Tearful and sorrowful life journey of thousands of roosters on Sunday and Monday in the rich Godavari and Krishna delta regions of Andhra Pradesh as the hapless poor creature ended their lives due to the blood sport known as cockfights being organized in the name of culture and tradition. These special roosters are mainly grown in the rooster farms, which have facilities for breeding, rearing and training for the fights. The breeders buy the high quality roosters for Rs.20,000 to Rs.40,000 depending on the size and variety of breed.

The rooster farms are mainly located in the rural areas and owners feed with high nutrient foods of jowar, finger millets, cashew, mutton kheema and others food products.

The rooster breeding and rearing activity spread from Coastal areas to Telangana also.

The roosters are trained for the cockfights to be held in Sankranti festival season in the Delta region. Lakhs of people from various parts of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and other states gather in the erstwhile districts of Krishna and Godavari and enjoy the blood sport three days in the festival season.

Thousands of crores of rupees change hands and punters and cockfight lovers enjoy the game. The winning cocks safely reach their breeding farms as the owners proudly bring back the winning roosters. Of the two birds fight in the arena, only one survives. With the sharp knives attacked to their legs, the roosters hardly sustain 10 minutes fight. The life of a rooster that had grown for two years ends in a pitiful condition with sharp knives injuries and bleeding. The poor creatures pay the penalty of death in one of the bloodiest and most cruel game that is fought in the Delta region for fun and in the name of culture.

The victory of a rooster results in the death of another. The victorious cockfight lovers, punters, organizers and big shots, who are behind the cruel game enjoy the benefits of game. The Sankranti festival brings joy to lakhs of Telugu people and sorrow for lakhs of poor and hapless birds, which never imagine that they meet the cruel death that was designed, played by the people for fun and make money.

Every year lakhs of chicks grow and become beloved birds for punters and gamblers. The breeders affectionately breed with cashew, dry fruits and other costly food items and finally take them to the death camps known as cockfight arenas where they die in hapless and pitiful condition that attracts no ones attention. The life journey ends with one defeat.