Editorial: Jumbo unchained

Chennai

An MHC bench had issued these directions based on a PIL filed by an activist named Rangarajan Narasimhan, who drew the attention of the court to the alleged inhumane treatment meted out to captive elephants under the protection of temples across TN. The Court added that no private individual may capture an elephant or rear the animal, except those already existing.

Stakeholders in wildlife conservation believe the MHC’s directions have come at the right time as there seems to be major discrepancies in the number of elephants in temples and in private custody in Tamil Nadu, as submitted by the State Forest Department to the Court recently, and to the Centre two years ago. According to the government, there are 127 captive elephants in TN, of which 31 are maintained by temples, 32 by private individuals and 64 are housed in camps operated by the Forest Department. However, a Delhi-based animal protection group said that the department had informed the Environment Ministry in 2019 that 86 elephants were under the custody of temples and private owners whereas the present report only discloses that there were 63 animals.

In June this year, the Chief Justice had implored TN to consider imposing a total ban on elephants being held captive or used as beasts of burden. In Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the issue of elephants held in the custody of temples or private parties is a touchy topic. A few years ago, a documentary titled Gods in Shackles, laid bare the tragedy of how temple elephants were treated in Kerala. From cooped up living spaces that are not cleaned for days together, to festering wounds that are not attended to in time, and even parading animals in the scorching sun as part of religious ceremonies, the treatment meted out to the elephants, are inhumane. The mahouts use bullhooks to keep the elephants in check and severe beatings are not uncommon.

Ensuring the upkeep of these majestic animals cannot be overemphasized. The Indian elephant happens to be a subspecies of the Asian elephant, which has already been listed as endangered as per the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. And India is home to about 30,000 elephants of which 2,500 are captive. We are witnessing unprecedented examples of man-animal conflict across various states, which is adding to the casualties among pachyderms. Between 2014 and 2019, 490 elephants were killed as a result of poaching, poisoning, electrocution and train accidents.

With regard to elephants in captivity, the recent PIL sought that temple associations allocate large land parcels with green cover to accommodate them. This would offer them a place for free movement when they were not participating in any festivals. The Court was also informed that a majority of elephants in the custody of the forest department were provided microchips with unique ID numbers. Similarly, captive elephants in TN were also provided with microchip tags. Encouragingly, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests has put together a committee with officials of Animal Husbandry Dept, vets, and NGOs to prepare a daily schedule to be followed by captive elephants.

While TN seems to be on the right track as far as the preservation of jumbos is concerned, a nationwide legislation that mirrors the decisions of the MHC is the need of the hour. Obviously, it will be a tall order considering the opposition this could incur, on account of religious groups. However, if we are even remotely keen on safeguarding this animal that is revered by millions, it might be time to take the jumbo out of private and institutional ownership.