JOWAI: Bullfights and dice gambling have become the biggest business in Jaintia Hills district. Bullfights are organised in various parts of the district regularly.
Hynniawmer (7th Miles) in Ialong, Sookilo in Sutnga, Shangpung and Byndihati are some places where bullfights and dice gambling are organised by a group of businessmen on daily basis.
Earlier, bullfight, a traditional sport, was organized annually by villages and Raijs in different places including Shangpung and Raid Raliang, but today it has become the biggest money-making business which attracts hundreds of people including politicians.
Bullfights and dice gambling are organized openly without any permission from the concerned authority.
With an aim to stop such illegal practices in the district, a team of Jowai Police personnel conducted a raid in one of the venue on Friday.
A team of nine police personnel comprising the officer-in-charge, two Sub-inspectors and six constables went to the spot at around 3:30 pm. Seeing police some of the gamblers fled away. Those who run the illegal business also fled away with their gambling materials and cash.
Police could seize four sets of gambling dice, one double gambling mat, Johnson powders and two gambling rubber pots.
The bullfight organized at Hynniawmer attracts more than 300 spectator-cum-gamblers regularly. During raid on Friday, police could not arrest any person thought they could identify them.
“When we tried to arrest them, around 300 people gheroaed us and we could not arrest anybody”, a police officer said.
Not only bullfights have turned into gambling business in Jaintia Hills district, betting is prevalent during football matches also.
Interestingly, all those who run such illegal business in Jaintia Hills need no permission from the district administration, they only obtain NOC from the rangbah shnong of the area.