KOCHI: Elephants have always had a special place in the Malayalis’ hearts. From temples to even churches and mosques these days, their presence is considered auspicious, a sight to behold. Temple festivals, in particular, are generally considered to be incomplete without the majestically caparisoned elephants. Popular festivals like the Thrissur Pooram and Arattupuzha Pooram are known for the parading of tuskers – some of whom have celebrity status.
The state also boasts legendary pachyderms such as Guruvayur Kesavan, Poomulli Shekharan and Paramekkavu Padmanabhan, which died in July last year. Well, even the state emblem has two saluting elephants.
However, the parading of elephants has always been controversial. Animal rights activists, for long, have been highlighting that the tuskers are brutally tortured and made to stand under the hot sun for long hours, without being provided adequate food and water.
In fact, there are two sets of ‘elephant lovers’ in Kerala – one which calls for the end of domestication of the gentle giants, and the other which defends the practice as being a part of tradition and argue that the animals are taken care of well.
Secretary of the Thrissur-based organisation Heritage Animal Task Force, V K Venkitachalam, alleges that elephant protection laws brought in by the Supreme Court are not being enforced in the state. “Under the leadership of the district collector, the elephant monitoring committee formed in each district should come out with plans to reduce cruelty against elephants,” he says.
“But, these meetings are limited to conducting festivals without problems; nothing is done to check or reduce cruelty against the elephants. Often, the Kerala Captive Elephant (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2003, are flouted, but no action is taken. These tuskers are deprived of proper food, water and shelter.”
Highlighting the recent death of the jumbo Nadakkal Unnikrishnan, Venkitachalam says the elephant’s carcass was found in a rubber plantation in Kottayam on January 2 this year. “The elephant is said to have arrived from Tamil Nadu that morning, and it died by evening the same day. Before its death, it is said to have participated in several cinema functions and temple rituals continuously for seven days,” he adds.
“No statutory shelter shed, which is mandated by the Supreme Court, was visible at the place where the jumbo died. Lack of shelter makes the body of elephants weak and vulnerable to foot diseases. According to an RTI reply, currently, only 28 elephants in the state have been provided with a proper shed.”
Venkitachalam alleges that “93 young elephants in the state have died within 49 months due to neglect, torture and experimental veterinary treatment”. Yet, he adds, “not a single meeting of the district or state-level elephant task forces” have been convened.
‘Say no to cruelty’
Several animal rights activists point to the process of chattam padippikkal or taming of the elephant. They allege it involves sustained torture with sticks, metal poles and bullhooks. “The wounds on the legs of elephants are often caused by friction from the chains. They are puncture wounds caused with the poles and bullhook,” explains a Kochi-based elephant lover, who requests anonymity.
“The biggest bunkum one hears is some people claiming that the elephants sway their heads and flap their ears as they enjoy the percussion during temple percussion. Any vet can clarify – elephants sway their heads in distress, and they flap their ears to regulate body heat. People who celebrate the grand parading of elephants are, in a way, deriving some sort of sadistic pleasure. If one truly loves elephants, they should be left alone in the wild.”
Another animal welfare activist, Preethi Sreevalsan, agrees. “Whenever a new mahout takes charge, the elephants are tortured until it obeys him. I am a Hindu, and I also go to temples. But, I am against the torturing of animals in the name of any religion,” she says.
“Many of the elephants are wounded and blinded; some have artificial tusks implanted. Also, when an elephant runs amok during such festivals, special squads are deployed to tame the animal. But, most of them don’t even have the necessary qualifications. As per the rule, the elephant squads should include a team of veterinarians who are authorised to use a tranquiliser gun. But instead, these squads use banned weapons such as capture belts and ankush (thotti) to rein in the elephant.”
Preethi, who is a nominee to the district monitoring committee for captive elephants in Palakkad and Malappuram, has a valid point. In most interviews of mahouts (these days quite popular on YouTube), one thing is clear: a wild elephant can be controlled by instilling mortal fear. The mahout has to establish supremacy over the animal, and that can be done only through torture.
Activist and secretary of Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Idukki district, M N Jayachandran says: “It is not written in any of the religious scriptures that elephants have to be paraded as part of a ritual. The elephant is a wild animal, it has to be left free in the wild. I strongly oppose the use of elephants for festivals. It is a tradition that needs to stop.”
Notably, in a change welcomed by animal welfare activists, several temples have stopped the use of captive elephants for rituals. The Dakshina Mookambika temple in Ernakulam and the Nalpathenneeswaram Sree Mahadeva temple in Alappuzha are prime examples. Next month, the Iringadanpally Sree Krishna temple in Irinjalakuda will script history by using a sculpture of an elephant made using metal frames and rubber for rituals.
Proposal for ‘Ganesha Fort’
The Elephant Owners’ Federation, meanwhile, brushes aside allegations. “Since it is a part of tradition, the practice of parading elephants cannot be avoided at temple festivals,” says the federation’s secretary, V Sasikumar.
“Elephants have rarely harmed the people during festivals because of the love people give them. More than 2,000 small and big festivals are conducted in the state, and elephants are paraded at most of them as part of tradition. Even the court has not banned the use of elephants, but only directed that there should be no cruelty towards the animal. Elephants are always paraded following proper rules.”
The federation, he adds, has sent a proposal to set up a ‘Ganesha Fort’ near Thrissur. “When this proposal materialises, we will be able to open a breeding center,” says Sasikumar. “We have submitted a petition to the authorities. The elephants will be provided a forest-like shelter. As part of this, over 30 acres have been earmarked.”
Declining numbers, a concern
According to a 2018 elephant census by the Forest Department, the state is home to 521 captive elephants. In response to the Right to Information petition filed by Venkitachalam in 2019, the Kerala Forest Department informed him, out of the 521 captive elephants, only 32 had genuine and valid ownership certificates. Nineteen are under private ownership, while the remaining 13 are with the Kerala Forest department.
However, Venkitachalam alleges, “ None of the temple elephants have an ownership certificate. The number of captive elephants has declined in the state as 93 young elephants in the state died within 49 months due to neglect, torture and experimental veterinary treatment.
According to the elephant census report,three elephants died in 2018, 29 in 2019, 20 in 2020, 20 in 2021, 21 in 2022 and one this year. But, not even a single meeting has been convened in this regard by the district or state-level elephant task forces and both these task forces are formed to prevent cruelty against captive elephants.”