Thrissur: The decision of the Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee (GDMC) on Saturday to seek two baby elephants from the Forest Department to perform temple rituals has attracted the ire of animal lovers here. The Heritage Animal Task Force based here sent a complaint on Sunday to the Animal Welfare Board of India’s Zonal office in Chennai and to the Chief Wildlife Warden in Kerala citing that the decision of the GDMC to demand possession of two baby elephants from the Forest Department was unlawful and illegal. It also said that the use of an elephant as part of a Temple ritual was not a fundamental right of any place of worship.
A Kerala High court judgement dated November 25, 2016 that it was "high time for the legislature to act to liberate this poor wild animal (elephant) from processions and exhibitions in connection with the festivals of temples/ mosques and allow them to live freely in jungles", was cited by V.K Venkitachalam, secretary of the Task Force. He said that the practice of the priest of Guruvayur Sree Krishna Temple to conduct daily ‘sheeveli’ by carrying the idol of Lord Guruvayurappan in his hands without using an elephant on the auspicious day of flag hoisting ceremony of the annual festival of Guruvayur Devaswom could be followed in the temple during rituals.
"More temples have come forward to keep elephants away from rituals citing cruelty meted out to them and are using chariots or idols taken out by the priest. In such a scenario, the GD is keeping 53 Elephants in its custody at Punnathur Kotta Elephant Sanctuary without having any statutory ownership certificate and violating all the rules for keeping Elephants in captivity and has no right to put up such a request before the Forest Department. Moreover, AWBI had issued a letter to the Forest Department after inspecting Punnathur Kotta that basic amenities of elephants are not met at the sanctuary in 2015,” he noted.
