Baripada, Dec. 27: The Mayurbhanj administration has successfully curbed cock-fighting once again, a blood sport driven by tradition in the tribal-dominated district. It's an extremely popular sport in various hamlets during the winter.
Between the last week of December and the second week of January, a large number of villagers engage themselves in cock-fights, organised on a large-scale on pre-decided dates. The tribal pockets where the sport is popular are Ragdha, Betnoti and Mirigi Dhari in Baisinga. The cock fights have been a part of the tribal tradition since a long time.
While in Ragdha it is held on December 25, in Betnoti the blood sport is held on January 14 while at Mirigi Dhari, the fight takes place on January 15 . On these dates, close to one lakh cocks are forced to fight, Ragdha being one of the biggest venues.
However, the district administration succeeded in stopping the blood sport. It has so far successfully prevented the organisers from holding any such fights.
Animal welfare activists had urged the district administration to step in and stop the practice, which is against the law.
The sub-divisional police officer of Betnoti, Dhiren Chandra Nanda, said: "We were successful in dissuading Chacha Jee Youth Club, the organising committee that hosts the popular sport. Meetings were held with their members and they responded positively to our appeal." However, Nanda said three platoons of police have been deployed in Ragdha.
Cock-fighting involves two fowls who are slotted against each other. The owner of the winning cock bags the injured or dead bird. During a typical cock-fighting ceremony, not only a large number of cocks are killed and injured, people coming to watch the sport also engage in betting on the fowls.
"This tradition is many years old and had been an integral part of our tradition," said a local resident of Muktapur in Betnoti block. He said the move of the district administration had deprived them of amusement and business opportunity.
"Cock-fight has been an age old tradition of the district. People with their cocks came from Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand to take part in the sport," said Tapas Rath, a Badasahi resident.
"It had always been big business for people here who used to tie the kati (knife) on the legs of the birds. Quacks (who treated the injured cocks), handia sellers and people who set up makeshift eateries and above all - the gamblers must be upset to hear about the news. Yet, it is a very good step taken by the district administration," said Rath.
There are many other hamlet dwellers who are dead against this sadist practice and wants it to be abolished once and for all.