FOR centuries, the people of Sindh have remained involved in the spectator sport of cock fighting. This has particularly remained alive in the rural areas and is part of life in the winter season. In the era of Raja Dahir, the Maharajas took deep interest in the game and assigned slaves, the job of breeding, training and feeding of the fighter cocks.
Cock fighting is also the source of gambling because people stake their money on their favourite cocks and winning or losing in this connection, has made many affluent, destitute and debt ridden. The losers often sell their valuable properties on throw-away prices resulting in the destruction of many families. Though, the government has banned the game, but it continues under the noses of the police and with the influence of powerful figures of respective areas who are also crazy for the game.
Cock fighting is arranged on national, provincial and local levels and the craze of the game draws people from all across the country. The area, where the fights are arranged, gives the look of a fair with stalls of tea, biryani, fruit, sweets etc. catering to the festive atmosphere.
Shamyanas are pitched as the owners along with their roosters wait for the match while remaining the centre of attention of the onlookers. A dhol (drum) player also waits for the start of the game, in part because he’s waiting for passersby to give him a few rupees, as tip. Whenever the fighting is arranged on a high level, invitation cards are distributed and a musical programme is arranged.
The shape of the arena is made in a circle or a square where the spectators watch the game by standing or sitting on the ground and they are controlled by a robust man, waving a stick in his hand. It is the responsibility of the manager of the programme to maintain peace and discipline and if any one tries to disturb the fight, the referee has the right to beat him or expel from the arena.
Two hired referees have full authority to announce the start of the game and cocks are fielded face to face. The fight is of five minutes and if it is not decided in this time, it continues for hours, with short breaks in between. The referees raise encouraging and discouraging slogans which produce rays of hopes and dismal for the owners of the cock and the stake holders. The stake holders get their names and amount registered and obtain a slip which helps them cash their bet after the fight. However, the cocks are decorated with hooks and knives to fight each other. Before the fight artificial sharpened spurs are tied to the roosters’ legs. This barbarism leads to the death of one of the two. If the cock receives slight injuries, it is given a splash of water to clean the blood and his face is pressed with a lukewarm cloth and legs are massaged; this helps the cock stablize or else, he shivers throughout the fight.
During fight, the cocks are called with names of kalashnikov, bullet, wolf, cobra etc., names that indicate the nature and strategy of the weapons and beasts.
After the fight, the owner of the winning cock is offered money by many for the animal, but it is seldom accepted. The refusal results in stealth of the cocks or their killing. However, those who do sell their roosters, charge astronomical prices. But that is no problem as the new owners, resell them to buyers in Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Qattar etc. where fights equalling in lacs are arranged.
A local cock-fight crazy person, Muhammad Yousuf Burirro told me that he, and others like him, love their animals and even prefer them to their offsprings. A rich diet of almond, pistachio, milk, eggs, ghee and bajra is fed to the animals. It is indeed a surprise that these men can keep their families hungry, but must provide such feed to their animals.
For procuring the best species of the cocks, the crazy of the game go from pillar to post of the country and realize hens and cocks on all costs and get chicks from them. Experts keep a keen eye on the chicks and protect them from the predators and diseases.
A veterinary surgeon pays frequent visits and administers vaccines to chicks against epidemic diseases and if any epidemic disease spreads in the area, the chicks and cocks are shifted to a safer place. The doses of antibiotic and neurobon are administered to cocks in order to make them safe and strong. When, the chicks reach the age of one and half year, a mock fight is arranged for him so as to gauge his strength and stamina.
Experts exercise the animals by making them run in order to develop their respiratory system so that it lasts longer during a fight. The face of the cocks are washed with spirit, to make it hard and provide relief from pain at the time of fight. The weight of the cock is watched so that it does not exceed from three kilo which is ideal.
It is a custom that when a fighter cock becomes old, it is slaughtered and all the crazy are invited and served with its cooked meat! However, the owners are reluctant to talk to the press. Because they say that if the fight is reported in the newspapers, the game would come to an end for sometime which they think a big loss to them. The Government should take lasting effective steps towards ending this barbaric game which has ravaged a number families.
FOR centuries, the people of Sindh have remained involved in the spectator sport of cock fighting. This has particularly remained alive in the rural areas and is part of life in the winter season. In the era of Raja Dahir, the Maharajas took deep interest in the game and assigned slaves, the job of breeding, training and feeding of the fighter cocks.
