In a statement issued by Samuga Pothunala Iyakkam (TNSPI) General Secretary A.S. Sankarapandian, he said:
There is already a female elephant named Parvathi at the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple. In this situation, a five-year-old female elephant named Durga has been brought from Assam after travelling 3,000 km. Similarly, elephants named Hiralal, aged eight, and Siva, aged six, are to be brought to the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai. A 13-year-old elephant named Roopsingh is reportedly to be brought to the Vaidyanatha Swamy Temple in Mayiladuthurai, and a five-year-old female elephant named Bijili is reportedly to be brought from Assam to the elephant enclosure belonging to a mutt in Kanchipuram. Bringing elephants from northeastern states to temples in South India in this manner has become a continuing practice.
An elephant is naturally a wild animal that lives in a herd. In the forest, elephants live as families. Female elephants live together for many years with their relatives, including mothers, grandmothers and sisters. Calves remain with their mothers for several years and learn from them. In the forest, they walk 10 to 20 km a day. Bathing in soil, bathing in water bodies, breaking trees and digging for roots are among their natural behaviours. Keeping them chained on a concrete floor in a temple completely destroys their natural way of life. Elephants are highly intelligent animals. Isolating them can cause distress and other mental-health-related problems.
The Asian elephant is listed as a species receiving the highest level of protection under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Separating it from the forest is illegal. Capturing wild elephants was prohibited after 1977. There are rules governing the transfer of elephants already in captivity in the name of donation. These rules are being misused to transfer wild elephants by describing them as captive elephants. In 2023, the Madurai High Court ordered that temples should no longer purchase elephants. On 2.9.26, a High Court Bench cancelled this prohibition. Nevertheless, separating an important wild animal such as an elephant from the forest is an offence under law.
Elephants kept standing on hard surfaces in temples suffer health problems including foot rot, paralysis and joint pain. Providing sweets and cooked food contrary to their natural diet can lead to obesity, diabetes and heart attacks. Tuberculosis can spread from humans, while skin diseases and injuries caused by chains can also affect them. When they are isolated during periods of musth, they can be pushed into aggressive behaviour. None of these conditions occur to them in the forest in this manner.
Removing one elephant from a forest affects the entire herd. In particular, removing a young female elephant affects reproduction. At a time when elephants are important animals that help expand the forest range, separating an elephant is equivalent to taking away the very spirit of the forest. Isolating a wild animal and keeping it chained in the name of tradition should be regarded as violence against it. Therefore, donating elephants to temples in the name of donation should be completely prohibited. The government should take appropriate action to protect the right of elephants to live by considering alternatives such as robots or sculptures for temple rituals.
Headquarters,
Samuga Pothunala Iyakkam.
