Now pig fights draw punters

Now pig fights draw punters
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Highlights

The people of the State are aware about cock fights conducted during Sankranti season and bull fights and races on special occasions. But now a new trend is on rise. Pig fights are being conducted in Prakasam, Guntur and Kadapa districts by members of some tribes, but bets are made by a large section of public. 

Giddalur (Prakasam district): The people of the State are aware about cock fights conducted during Sankranti season and bull fights and races on special occasions. But now a new trend is on rise. Pig fights are being conducted in Prakasam, Guntur and Kadapa districts by members of some tribes, but bets are made by a large section of public.

One or two tribes in the State rear pigs for meat. When they meet during festivals, they conduct pig fights in secluded areas for fun. But the young generation of the tribe has brought the fights into public domain and is organising pig fights once or twice in a month in remote villages of these districts, where their population is dominant. Pigs used in the fight cost around Rs 1.5 lakh as they need heavy diet and vigorous training for the fight.

  • Some tribes conduct the contests in Prakasam, Guntur & Kadapa
  • Cops raid the fight site, arrest 36 persons involved in betting

Owners of the heavy male pigs poke them with sticks to engage in fight with each other. Sometimes, wild boars are used, which inflict deep gashes on their rival’s body using their two strong fangs. The defeated beast is taken over by the master of the winning pig.

Then the winning pig is used to breed quality pigs. Spectators make bets from Rs 500 to Rs 5,000 depending on animals and the dealer gets commission in cash from the winning party. On Monday, nearly 50 people from Kadapa, Guntur and Prakasam districts gathered near Anjaneya Swami temple at Mohiddin Puram village in Arthaveedu mandal near Giddalur and made arrangements for pig fight.

But on a tip off, the local police reached the spot and nabbed 36 people and seized 41 two-wheelers from them. Pola Jambalaiah and Jagannatha Ramayya, owners of the wild boars, said, “We are just arranging the fights as part of our customs and there is no money involved in it. Owner of the winning pig has rights over the defeated pig and it is the tradition for ages. Police without having any idea of our customs took our men into custody.”

By:Naresh Nandam & P Y Khan

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