(LK) two baby elephants tortured to please Buddhist monks

[Guest guest]

So much of the cruelty in the world, ironically, is done in the name of

religion.

The nearer the temple (or church or mosque), generally the further from God.

 

That this is done in the name of the Buddha who preached ahimsa is even

more reprehensible. The only way to " tame " these magnificent Gods in

Chains is by breaking their spirits by regular cruel, inhuman beatings and

punishment.

 

S. Chinny Krishna

 

 

> http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20090802/investigation.HTM#top

>

> Investigation

>

> Cruelty in the name of the gods

>

> Photos:

> Raju and Sindu with their mothers at the orphanage (inset) Diyawadane

> Nilame Nilanga Dela

>

> By Risidra Mendis

>

> The Sri Dalada Maligawa that houses the sacred tooth relic and a place

> that

> is worshipped by thousands of locals and foreigners has today become a

> torture ground for two innocent baby tuskers.

>

> While Buddhists and devotees worship Lord Buddha and the many gods of the

> devales at the Temple of the tooth relic, Diyawadane Nilame Nilange Dela

> stands accused of inflicting cruelty on two baby tuskers Raju and Sindu to

> tame them and present them to the Asgiriya and Malwatte Mahanayakes on

> August 7.

>

> Despite President Mahinda Rajapakse attempting to revoke his initial order

> and take the two baby elephants back to Pinnawela, The Sunday Leader

> reliably learns that the Mahanayakes of the two chapters have prevailed on

> the President not to retract on his promise.

>

> Inflicting cruelty

>

> The Mahanayakes who are responsible for protecting and preaching Buddhism

> are allegedly supporting Dela to inflict cruelty on Raju and Sindu. Photos

> of Dela hitting one of the baby tuskers with a long pole was released to

> the

> media recently. According to reliable sources Dela allegedly used heated

> iron rods to burn the baby tuskers to get them to obey his orders.

>

> The Pinnawela elephant orphanage has 88 elephants and three tuskers (not

> born at the orphanage). While 50 elephants were born at Pinnawela 65 were

> previously released to temples.

>

> On July 25 the two baby tuskers were forcibly taken away from Pinnawela.

> According to eyewitness accounts Dela had arrived with around 50 policemen

> and forcibly taken the babies away.

National Zoological Gardens Duminda Jayaratne also helped Dela

> achieve his goal by ordering the veterinary surgeons at the orphanage to

> tranquilise the baby tuskers in the night. A veterinary surgeon said

> elephants and especially baby elephants are not tranquilised at night as

> it

> could be dangerous to their lives.

>

> Tranquilise the babies

>

> However according to reliable sources Jayaratne has ignored all safety

> measures and ordered the veterinary surgeons to tranquilise the two

> babies.

> The director had then left half way through the operation. Was Jayaratne

> bowing to political pressure and acting like a political stooge to save

> his

> job, or was he afraid of Dela's threats when he put the lives of two baby

> tuskers at risk last week?

>

> Eyewitnesses at the scene said the two baby elephants once tranquilised,

> struggled to get to their mothers. Dela had refused to sign the document

> for

> the release of the two babies and it was the driver of vehicle No.

> 226-9308

> Saman Sisira, who signed for the release of the two babies at the gate.

> The

> babies were wounded and one had broken its tusk after he was taken to the

> Maligawa.

>

> Secretary to the Cabinet D. Wijesinghe and Additional Secretary G.

> Hapangama

> having signed the Cabinet paper for the release of the two elephants are

> now

> silent on this issue. The Sunday Leader learns that Wijesinghe has told

> zoo

> officials that this is an order from the top and not to interfere in this

> matter.

>

> On whose orders?

>

> The question is whose orders are these government officials following? Is

> it

> President Mahinda Rajapakse's, the Mahanayakes or Dela? President

> Rajapakse

> responding to letters sent by the Sanga, veterinary surgeons, zoo

> officials

> and animal rights activists issued a statement to return the two babies to

> their mothers.

>

> However The Sunday Leader learns that due to pressure from the

> Mahanayakes

> the president has reversed his order. It was President Rajapakse who took

> a

> decision to stop the gruesome gassing of stray dogs in the country. It

> remains to be seen if the President a strong Buddhist himself, will save

> these two innocent babies from such inhuman treatment in the name of

> Buddhism and humanity or take the advice of the two Mahanayakes.

>

> Hitting with poles

>

> President Young Zoologists' Association (YZA) Pubudu Weeraratne said one

> baby is tied to a coconut tree within the premises of Dela's house and the

> other is being kept in a garage. Having been separated from their mothers

> at

> less than three years, the two babies are not even allowed to be together.

>

> " Dela has started hitting the two baby tuskers with poles to tame them. He

> has also used heated iron rods on the animals to get them to obey. The

> babies' food consists of coconut and kitul branches. They are not given

> milk. This food is un-suitable for baby elephants.

>

> " We hear that the babies are not eating this food and are being given

> saline. Whenever another elephant goes past, they scream in pain for their

> mothers.

>

> " Pinnawela officials are taking measures to drain out the milk from the

> mothers to reduce the discomfort caused to the animals. It is vital that

> these two animals remain at Pinnawela for breeding purposes. Dela has

> disgraced the entire Buddhist community by what he has done, " Weeraratne

> said.

>

> Taken away in the night

>

> Coordinator Elephant Conservation Forum Shantha Jayaweera said this was

> the

> first time that two baby tuskers (the first to be born at Pinnawela) were

> taken away from the orphanage in the night. " In 1950 a tusker was shot by

> the government. This is the second time in the history of the country that

> such cruelty is imposed on two baby tuskers. Dela initially had picked two

> elephants of ten and 11 years.

>

> " However, when he realised that these two babies were tuskers he allegedly

> threatened Pinnawela officials and forcibly took them away. He also took

> two

> mahouts from the orphanage to be with the babies. If by any chance the

> animals are harmed he will blame the two mahouts, " Jayaweera said.

>

> Speaking to The Sunday Leader Zoologist Dilan Peiris said it is important

> that the tooth relic is taken in a casket on the back of an elephant in a

> perahera. " After the perahera these temple elephants are used for hard

> labour and safaris. They are used to carry logs and taken in the hot sun

> for

> safaris. The cruelty imposed on these two babies is a shame to all

> Buddhists

> and Buddhism. Inflicting cruelty and taming an elephant to be taken in a

> perahera is not acceptable in Buddhism, " Peiris said.

>

>

> A punishable offence

>

> Environmentalist Lawyer Jagath Gunewardene says according to a Cabinet

> paper

> a request was made for two baby elephants to be gifted to the Malwatte and

> Asgiriya Mahanayakes. " The cabinet paper does not specifically say two

> tuskers. When the government took a decision to send a baby elephant to

> Armenia a court order was issued that babies under five years should not

> be

> separated from their mothers, " Gunewardene said.

>

> He added that according to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance

> (CAO) the torture of animals is a punishable offence.

>

> According to Gunewardene the police can take into custody any person who

> violates this law without a warrant. " We are asking Jayaratne and Lokuge

> to

> release the two tuskers to their mothers. In the name of Buddhism we are

> asking that these animals be released. If elephants are needed for

> peraheras

> they can be hired out by Pinnawela and brought back. Brigadier H.A.N.T

> Perera when he was director of the zoo had said, that at least 60

> elephants

> from the orphanage could be trained and hired out for peraheras, "

> Gunewardene said.

>

> Gunewardene said all wildlife is the property of the state and the state

> agency that deals with Wildlife is the Department of Wildlife and

> Conservation (DWC). " All animals in physical custody of the Zoological

> Department cannot be disposed of even by the minister-in-charge without a

> permit from the Director of Wildlife. Doing so would be an offence

> according

> to the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPA).

>

> However Director DWC Ananda Wijesooriya said his department deals with

> only

> wild elephants and not captive ones. Elephants at the orphanage are not

> wild, so I don't have to issue a permit for elephants to be taken from

> Pinnawela, " Wijesooriya said.

>

> _____

>

> " It was a cabinet decision "

>

> Public Recreation Minister Gamini Lokuge said that based on a cabinet

> decision the two baby elephants were taken from Pinnawela. " The baby

> elephants are to be gifted to the Mahanayakes. The Mahanyakes went to the

> orphanage and selected these baby tuskers. The babies were brought to the

> Dalada Maligawa and kept there to get used to the climate and its

> surrounding. We have no intention of separating the babies from the

> mothers.

> Once the babies are gifted to the Mahanayakes they will be taken back to

> the

> orphanage and entrusted to their mothers. When the babies are big enough

> to

> take part in peraheras they will be brought back to the temples, " Lokuge

> said.

>

> Lokuge denied reports that Dela was torturing the babies to make them tame

> before being presented to the Mahanayakes. Despite the photos showing Dela

> hitting a baby elephant with a pole, Lokuge said he wanted to see the

> photos

> before he could comment on the issue.

>

> Lokuge said according to the cabinet decision any animals could be chosen

> from the orphanage. Commenting on a court order that says that no baby

> elephant can be separated from its mother until it is over five years old,

> Lokuge said this was applicable only to elephants who were being sent to

> foreign countries.

>

> _____

>

> Diyawadana Nilame uncontactable

>

> Diyawadana Nilame Nilange Dela was unavailable for comment despite

> repeated

> attempts by The Sunday Leader to contact him.

>

> _____

>

> FR case filed

>

> A fundamental rights case was filed in the Supreme Court by animal rights'

> activist Sargarica Rajakarunanayake on Friday (31) asking that the two

> baby

> tuskers be immediately returned to their mothers for the sake of their

> well

> being.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>