Recently, a fire accident claimed the life of an elephant from the Kuntakudi temple. There was a big discussion, and a lot of people expressed their concern and anguish. However, in today’s world, every significant disturbance fades away within a span of two or three days. A new story on social media can easily reduce the intensity of the unrest. Next movie release, next political discussion… We successfully transform any situation into a social media tension, providing short-lived, sharp entertainment.
The death of an elephant is a tragic event, no doubt. However, I know that particular elephant. It was already dying. Just look at its photos. It was fat and dull. Somebody will remember that I visited the Elanchi temple a few years ago and wrote that the elephant there was overweight and weak. The elephant succumbed to cardiac arrest a few days later. This is the general condition of the elephants in our temples.
Generally, the elephants in our temples are the sickest and poorly treated animals in India. While we revere them, we also chain and imprison them in cramped rooms. They are prisoners with a lifetime sentence. They didn’t commit any crimes; we are the criminals. Every time I saw an elephant in captivity, a deep sorrow used to grip my heart. This is because I knew that the powerful, intelligent, and passionate giant was pleading for mercy from us. It implores us to liberate it. We are blind and deaf. We feed it bananas and sugar, hoping that we are nurturing it and that it enjoys the food.
An elephant is not a toy, it never can be a pet. It is a wild animal. Humans began to domesticate it for more than ten thousand years, but still it is half wild. It can not be domesticated fully. Its brain and body are extremely powerful. Elephants belonged to the Jurassic period, and their body and brain evolved over many years to adapt to various life conditions. It is the only Jurassic creature to survive because it is strong and smart.
An elephant’s body is designed to walk for at least 30 kilometers daily. It typically observes and studies more than a hundred new things per day. I used to observe wild elephants; they knew every tree in the forest. They identify a fruit tree and its seasons. They recall the path to reach it, and they impart this knowledge to others. They used to regularly visit the premises during that particular season to enjoy the fruit. They can even remember the places where salt is available. They are able to recall every person in their lives. They are kind and compassionate beings; they never attack pasturing animals. When they were entering the forest, animal herders used to send their cows and goats before them.
However, we are keeping that intellectual giant in captivity. Elphants in captivity are usually bored and depressed. Consequently, they overindulged in food. In reality, by eating too much they are committing suicide. I have never witnessed a temple elephant in good health or in a cheerful mood. I witnessed some elephants collecting pebbles and small seeds only to pass the time.
We must freely release the temple elephants into the forest. Can they survive? Dr. Krishnamurty, also known as the elephant doctor, has substantiated their survival with remarkable ease. A few years ago, as per his advice, the government sent temple elephants into the forest for a few months to rejuvenate them. They enjoyed the forests, and within a few days, they returned to their natural wild state. It was a surprise to environmentalists. The program has now come to an end due to financial constraints.
We used to need elephants for heavy work, but now we have machines. Elephants have become completely unnecessary and expensive in today’s industrial world. Today, we only breed elephants for pride and religious reasons. We should rise above the cruelty of tormenting elephants and become a more sensitive society. Elephants are the animal sacrifice we offer to a very cruel god inside us. We have to stop it if we still believe we are cultured.
