KOCHI : Kerala High Court has directed the organisers of Thrissur Pooram to maintain a minimum distance of 6 m between elephants and percussion artists/other artists during the parade and melam.
Taking note of the extreme heat situation in Kerala, a Division Bench comprising Justice A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Gopinath P also directed that ‘Theevetti’ (pole-mounted fire) shall also be placed at a minimum 6 m away from the elephants. Only a bare minimum number of persons who may be authorised by the organisers will be permitted to enter the open area of 6 m and that too strictly for urgent needs only.
The bench issued the direction when the suo motu case related to the parading of elephants for festivals, including the Thrissur Pooram, came up for hearing.
The bench clarified that these directions should not apply to persons who may have to stand immediately behind the elephants during the ‘Kudamattam’ ritual. For ritualistic purposes, a ‘Kuthuvilakku’ (traditional lamp) alone will be permitted in front of the elephant carrying the deity. No ‘Theevetti’ shall be used along with the ‘Kuthuvilakku’ and the ‘Theevetti’ shall be placed only at a distance of 6 m.
The court directed the principal chief conservator (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden to deploy necessary rapid response teams (RRTs) to deal with any untoward incidents. Elephant squads/volunteers (if any) engaged by the organisers shall only assist the RRTs and will act only upon instructions of RRT officials. The organisers - Paramekavu and Thiruvambadi devaswoms- should share the details of persons engaged as volunteers/elephant squad with the assistant conservator of forests (Social Forestry), Thrissur.
“Devices such as a ‘capture belt’ should not be used by elephant squads. No other equipment which will cause hurt to the captive elephant or maim it in any manner should be used,” said the court. The organisers/mahouts should ensure that the elephants are under no fatigue and are not exposed to the sun for long. It should be ensured that the elephants are properly fed and watered, said the court.
The court ordered that the process of verification and issuance of fitness certificates of captive elephants brought for the ‘Thrissur Pooram’ should be done on April 18 strictly following the mandate of the Kerala Captive Elephant Management Rules, 2012.
Min welcomes HC’s decision to relax curbs on parade'
Revenue Minister K Rajan on Monday welcomed the High Court’s decision to relax the restrictions imposed on elephant parade during Thrissur pooram. Earlier, elephant owners had raised concerns over the circular issued by the chief wildlife warden banning percussion activities and fireworks within a 50-metre radius of captive elephants. The High Court in its order on April 12, had urged the Paramekkavu and Thiruvambady devaswoms along with other participants of pooram to adhere strictly to the circular. As the High Court relaxed its restrictions on Monday, devaswoms are now at ease as pooram rituals could be conducted without any issues. Both Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu devaswoms also welcomed the High Court directive.
Thechikottukavu Ramachandran: Fitness key, says court
Regarding parading of the elephant Thechikottukavu Ramachandran, the court said that the principal chief conservator of forests (Wildlife) and chief wildlife warden should ensure that permission for parading the elephant is given only after the officials are personally satisfied with the fitness of the elephant. Taking into account the health condition of the elephant, the court directed that a distance of 10 m on all sides should be followed. The court was told that the elephant is not proposed to be used in any procession except for one from the Neithalakavau Devi Temple to Vadakkumnathan Temple. The bench issued the direction when the suo motu case related to the parading of elephants for festivals came up for hearing.