There used to be lots of sparkling white sand on the banks of the tank near our house. The water was also shallow. This place used to come alive when the bullsfight (the fight between the male water buffaloes) were organised without prior notice.
For members of Golla or Yadav community living in Ramanthapur village, dairy was their primary occupation. Cows (Female Water Buffaloes) were commonly preferred for dairy as the milk had higher fat content and there was demand too. With the abundant grass cultivated on the banks of the Musi river, the dairy was a flourishing activity. In every house with a compound, there used to be a large number of buffaloes. Every house had a bullock cart too for fetching the grass.
They used to organise fights between the bulls. It was always at the foreshore area of the tank close to our house. The onlookers used to gather around within minutes. Children and women used to climb on to the tank bund to have a safer and clear view. By seeing them as a child I was also curious and ran to have a closer look. The bulls were well fed and groomed. It was a feast to look at the muscular body of the bulls.
They used to lure the bulls into the fight by introducing a cow. The bulls used to take sometime to get into the fighting mode. Maybe they used to assess the worth of the cow to lock horns with their rivals. The interest is the contention. The bulls used to stare at each other and move in rounds. And suddenly they used to charge into the fight. Sometimes the fights used to last a few minutes and always less than half an hour. In the end, the losing bull used to run away at a very high speed charged by the winning bull. Probably fear for life makes one run faster -and the energy of the body and the soul pushes its limits and makes it run even faster. Whereas the winner is using its ego and bodily energy to chase the looser. If the winner does not catch the looser again, it might mean that the loser is also strong enough. That is how we test the endurance in the racing games.
The bulls used to go back into village, knocking people walking and on bicycles, on the way. The cow returned home calmly with its owner as the two fighting bulls ran away. Sometimes there is no reason why people fight for their false ego. The bulls were followed by cheering crowds and the owners, to catch and stop them. The running bulls were dangerous to pedestrians as the lanes in the village were narrow.
The fight between the bulls served the purpose of selecting the best bull for animal husbandry and progeny. It was entertaining for many and some used to bet on the outcome. Such bullfights are rare to see – today the bulls have no place in cattle shed. With artificial insemination, it is rare to find those sturdy bulls in our vicinity. In the domain of animal husbandry, the male species have less scope and chances to live.
Most of the fights among males in mammals are common over a female or a group of females. It is the natural selection process for improving the qualities of progeny. In human beings, it goes beyond, and every male competes through wealth, education, class, race, religion, place of origin, and other traits.
As a child, I got to see such bullfights and I personally don’t support the bullfights created just for the entertainment of people.