Penamakuru inspires other villages to shun cockfights

Vijayawada: Penamakuru village is an ideal place and it will be an inspiration to all villages in the district in preventing cockfights and gambling during Sankranti festival, said the Vijayawada Deputy Commissioner of Police, Law and Order-I, Dr Gajaraj Bhupal.

The DCP was the chief guest at the venue of final programme of three-day-long 32nd games meet organised by Bharatha Yuvajana Sangham on the occasion of Sankranthi at Penamakuru under Vijayawada police Commissionerate limits. The DCP administered an oath to villagers, including students and youth to prevent cockfights, gambling and other illegal activities during Sankranthi in Penamakuru village.

Gajraj Bhupal said that celebrating Sankranthi was nothing to do with cockfights and gambling. “Penamakuru is the place where the villagers boycotted cockfights and gambling during Sankranti and celebrate the festival by conducting games. The village is ideal and it will be inspiration to all villages in preventing cockfights and gambling,” the DCP said. Later, he distributed prizes to winners and presented cash rewards to meritorious students of SSC in ZP High School of Penamakuru.

The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT-AP) has included the story of Penamakuru village in the series of Diversity on the Earth. It narrates the changes witnessed in the agrarian village on several fronts such as agriculture, rural economy, modes of ownership of land, livelihood options and diversification of crops on the deltaic land. The SCERT syllabus with the village story was prescribed from the academic year 2012-13, both for Telugu and Enlgish media and is being distributed across the state.