Elephant Polo: NO INSURANCE, Play at your own risk !

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

Some good news this.

 

Elephant Polo is not covered in the following categories of India's

most preferred travel insurance company TATA- AIG.

Neither does it fall on 'EXTREME ADVENTURE SPORTS' category nor is it

covered under any other normal insurance policies of the company.

 

This was confirmed a few minutes back by officials from TATA- AIG

after I contacted them over phone and an email during the day.

Please see attached correspondence.

 

This is a BIG news which should be used by us to caution the players,

organisers and promoters and of this HIGH PROFILE event, specially the

WEPA (World Elephant Polo Association).

It may be noted that WEPA although warns of possible threats from

elephants arising from the game/ sport in its website, it does not

however advise or reveal any information on the insurance aspect.

 

We can also now caution the embassies and consulates of our respective

polo playing team nations to be extremely cautious and issue travel

advisories to those who intend to travel to a foreign nation and

engage themselves over a game of elephant polo.

It may be noted that a 'TOURIST VISA' restricts the traveler from

engaging on many activities in a foreign country.

 

I would request my friends specially in the UK and USA to alert the

polo playing teams (as most of them belong to those countries) with

this news.

 

Please circulate this news to the best of your capacity.

 

The qualification of Elephant Polo as one of the ten craziest and

dangerous sport in the world could not help its players buy an

insurance policy.

 

So all the near and dear ones of the polo players hold back your guys

if you LOVE them, what if God forbid if anything goes wrong.

 

Cheers !!

 

Azam Siddiqui

 

 

___________________

 

Find below correspondence with TATA-AIG officials:

 

Dear Azam,

 

The game/sport Elephant Polo is an exclusion from the normal policy.

 

Regards,

 

Rajasekar T

 

 

 

 

Kutty, Manesh

Friday, February 27, 2009 6:20 PM

T, Rajasekar

RE: Elephant Polo: Is it Covered In Your Travel Insurance Policy?

 

The same is an exclusion under the policy.

 

Rgds,

 

Manesh Kutty

 

Travel Services - A & H

 

Tata-Aig General Insurance Co.Ltd

 

Bangalore

 

Desk : +91 80 6627 2831

 

Hand : +91 98864 48714

 

" Ability is what you're capable of. Motivation determines what you do.

Attitude determines how well you do it. "

 

 

 

T, Rajasekar

Friday, February 27, 2009 6:15 PM

Kutty, Manesh

FW: Elephant Polo: Is it Covered In Your Travel Insurance Policy?

 

Dear Manesh,

 

Here is an enquiry on the sport of 'Elephant Polo', whether it is

included in adventure sports or not. Please clarify.

 

Regards,

 

Rajasekar T

 

- Hide quoted text -

 

 

 

azam24x7 [azam24x7]

Friday, February 27, 2009 2:48 PM

T, Rajasekar

Elephant Polo: Is it Covered In Your Travel Insurance Policy?

 

 

Kind attention Mr. Raja Sekar, TATA- AIG

Sir,

 

With reference to the telephonic conversation I had with you, here are

the details I seek on the game/ sport of 'Elephant Polo'.

 

As you may be aware that this has been an issue of a raging debate

worldwide in the past couple of years both for the human lives and

property as well as the animal engaged.

 

Scientists and experts having worked with elephants have warned of

disastrous effects from the game of 'elephant polo'.

 

Please see the website here for more details:

 

http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

 

We have been exploring every possibility of generating awareness among

the general public with whatever evidence we have gathered on how

dangerous a form of sport this is.

 

The main reason being that the animals used are WILD which have been

trained under captivity to perform the task of playing a polo match.

There is every possibility of the animal going berserk (as it happened

in 2006 at Galle, Sri Lanka).

 

Here are the guidelines that have been framed by the WEPA (World

Elephant Polo Association) which is the biggest organiser of this

Royal Gala Sport:

 

http://www.elephantpolo.com/wepa/rules.php

 

Having said this I have a few queries from your organisation which I

am putting forward below.

 

1. Has 'elephant polo' been recognized as a form of 'Extreme Sport/

Adventure' under your policies?

 

(a): If Yes, the details.

 

(b): If No, Is it being considered?

 

2. Do you know of any Asian Nation where Tata- AIG or AIG includes

'elephant polo' insurance for the general public?

 

3. If an Indian citizen plans travel to Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka etc

with the intention of being a part to an 'elephant polo' event. What

policy should he avail which would enable him for a cover in the

unfortunate event of personal injuries or death during an accident

resulting.

 

Please elaborate this for (a) a spectator, (b) the mahout, © the

player, (d) an organiser.

 

4. Further to this please add additional information from your end

whatever precautions/ advice you would issue to a tourist/ traveler

from India or any other Asian nation who plans a travel to the Polo

playing nations to be a part of the event.

 

Thanking you,

 

Regards,

 

Azam Siddiqui

 

Master Trainer in Animal Welfare

 

Animal Welfare Board of India

 

On 2/26/09, azam24x7 <azam24x7 wrote:

> Should Elephants be engaged to play Polo?

>

> Certainly Not !

>

> World's most renowned authority on elephants Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE

> MBE MBS DVMS, who has spent a lifetime playing surrogate mother to hundreds

> of orphaned elephants and has successfully hand reared them from

> unfortunate

> orphans to handsome adults back to the wild has once again called upon the

> organisers of 'Elephant Polo' to end the CIRCUS.

>

> When the mother says it is WRONG, it has to be WRONG !

>

> May I call upon all those who have stood 'United against Elephant Polo' to

> once again join Dr. Daphne and write letters of protest to the organisers

> and the Animal Welfare Board of India so that the proposed 'Elephant Polo'

> events scheduled for March' 10th in Rajasthan state can be stopped.

>

> And also to the organisers of the King's Cup Elephant Polo Tournament,

> scheduled to take place from March 23 to March 29 in the northernmost

> region

> of Thailand.

>

> I have attached Dr. Daphne's letter to the authorities for your reference.

>

> Also please mark a cc to me so that the website:

> http://www.stopelephantpolo.com can be updated.

>

> Thanking you.

>

> regards,

>

> Azam Siddiqui

>

>

> P.S. See the links for more info:

>

> On Rajasthan (Indian) Elephant Polo:

>

http://www.rajasthantravelguide.com/rajasthan_fair_festivals/elephant_festival.h\

tml

>

http://www.rajasthan-tourism.org/festivals-of-rajasthan/rajasthan-elephant-festi\

val.html

>

> On Thailand Elephant Polo:

> http://www.ftnnews.com/content/view/4750/26/lang,english/

>

>

> Contacts you can write to:

>

> Indian Authorities:

>

> 1. Mr. Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister, Rajasthan

> (Please follow the web link below):

> http://www.rajasthan.gov.in/rajgovt/misc/reachthegovt.html

>

> 2. The Animal Welfare Board of India

> (Please follow the web link below):

> http://www.awbi.org/contact.htm

> or email them at:

> " awbi " <awbi, AWBI " <secretary.awbi,

> " Consultant

> Editor, AWBI " <editor.awbi,

> Tel: +91 44 224454958, 224454330

> Fax: +91 44 224454958

> http://www.awbi.org

>

> Thailand authorities:

>

> The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT)

> Address : 1600 New Phetburi Road, Makkasan, Rajatevee, Bangkok 10310

> Tel : +66 2250 5500 (120 automatic lines

> Fax : +66 2250 5511 ( 2 automatic lines)

> Email Address : center

> http://www.tourismthailand.org

>

> ___________________________

>

>

> Attached Letter of protest from Dr. Daphne Sheldrick dated: February 26,

> 2009 :

>

> I have worked with elephants for over 50 years of my life, and am regarded

> world-wide as an authority on these animals, having reared from early

> infancy over 95 of their orphaned young, watched these orphans heal, grow

> into adulthood, and eventually return to where they rightly belong, in a

> Protected Area large enough to offer them the space an elephant needs for

> quality of life in wild terms. Thereafter, the human " family " that

> replaced the orphans' lost elephant one, and who reared them only with

> compassion, care and kindness and therefore remain trusted and loved, have

> been rewarded when their erstwhile charges choose to bring back their

> wild-born young to show their human Carers. Details of my work can be

> viewed on www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

>

> As someone who has always respected India's compassion for animals, it

> seems

> inconceivable that the authorities still condone Elephant Polo, and allow

> the organizers of such events to fool the world that Indian captive

> Elephants actually enjoy being forced to take part in such activities,

> despite hard evidence to the contrary. As I am sure you know, not long

> ago

> a Polo Playing Elephant in Sri Lanka went berserk, injuring people and

> causing damage to a vehicle. Such anger can hardly signify enjoyment. It

> signifies a revolt against cruelty and abuse, and it is now time that all

> caring people also revolted against such cruelty and abuse, especially in

> this, the 21st Century, when so much more is known about the sophistication

> and very human traits of Elephants.

>

> Elephants are not designed to play polo and nor should they. All who

> support this cruel activity contribute to un-necessary suffering of animals

> that have already suffered enormously from the brutal training techniques

> they endure which no sane person can call humane. I speak with authority

> about what elephants like and dislike, for I know them probably better than

> most, having observed them daily for over 50 years through newborn into

> adulthood as well as studying their wild kin in the wild situation. My

> late husband being the founder of Warden of Kenya's Tsavo National Park

> which harbours Kenya's largest single wild elephant population and we lived

> there for 30 years)

>

> As the authority in Rajasthan, I do hope that you will urge the organizers

> of Elephant Polo to abandon their plans to host yet another barbaric event

> in March this year, which will certainly impact negatively on the record of

> India as a caring and Animal Loving Nation.

>

>

> Dr. Dame Daphne Sheldrick, DBE MBE MBS DVMS

>

> UNEP 1992 Global Laureate

>

> 2000 BBC Lifetime Achievement Award

>

> --

> http://www.stopelephantpolo.com

> http://www.freewebs.com/azamsiddiqui