Captive elephants or Bulldozers

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Watch Video at the following link:

 

 

The above video clippings were shot by me on 24th November near

Rangiya in the Kamrup district of Assam.

 

Captive elephants are engaged in the dragging and pulling of the trees

that are being logged across the highway because of the widening of

the highways across the state into four lane express way.

 

This particular elephant as I saw was not being overworked compared to

other parts of Assam, but even then I am very sceptic with its use on

the highway.

 

Some of the points that I have noted are as follows:

 

1. One forester who was looking after the operation told me that there

was no traffic police man to assist them with the traffic movements of

speedy and heavy vehicles on the highway which was being widened and

also because elephants were working, therefore it was very essential

for traffic police to be deployed.

 

2. Villagers crowd to see the elephant at work. Also the fact that

when trees are being pulled down there is always a possibility of the

tree falling on the wrong side, this causes heated arguments and also

gets violent many a times with regards to compensation demands, this

can result in the anger of the people being diverted to the elephant (

rarely though ) but in such a situation, more forest people armed with

tranqulisers are a necessity if at all the elephant decides to run

amok. Else the jumbo may have to do away with its life in the hands of

a helpless policeman who shall have to gun him down if he decides to

misbehave.

 

3. There are three more elephants being used on near Nellie in Assam.

I am told the situation is not good there. The elephants are being

overworked, being made to pull, push, carry bmuch bigger logs and for

long hours. Also the loading of logs on the trucks is carried out by

the elephants.

 

4. This drive is being carried out by the Forest department hiring

elephants. I am told the elephants are hired at the cost of Rs. 300/-

per day.

 

 

Thanks,

 

Azam Siddiqui