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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.

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