Elephants abused for Climate Change conference in New Delhi

[Guest guest]

Message posted with permission from Mrs Ganguly. Once again, CUPA leads the

path for protesting elephant abuse.

 

 

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Suparna Ganguly <suparnaganguly

Nov 4, 2009 12:13 AM

Fwd: Use of two elephants to entertain guests at the Climate Change

Conference dinner on 22 Oct 2009 at New Delhi

To:

 

 

 

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Gopi Shankar <gopishankar

2009/11/2

Use of two elephants to entertain guests at the Climate Change

Conference dinner on 22 Oct 2009 at New Delhi

jairam

Cc: secy, gajendra, anjani.moef,

rmkawbi

 

 

Dear Sir

 

I attended the recently concluded Conference on Climate Change: Technology

Development and Transfer in New Delhi on 22 – 23 October 2009. When I

attended the conference dinner on the evening of 22 Oct 2009 at the Hotel

Grand Ashok, I was in for a rude shock when I saw two elephants, painted,

caparisoned and carrying howdas greetings guests to the dinner. What made

this even more shocking was that this dinner was organised by none other the

Ministry of Environment and Forests.

 

 

 

I am writing to you as a concerned citizen interested in welfare of India’s

fast depleting wildlife, most importantly interested in the plight of

captive elephants. As I watched in horror, a foreign dignitary wanted to

mount on one of the elephants and the poor animal was forced to kneel down

for her to climb on to it and again for her to dismount. Both the elephants

looks tired, weak and emaciated and did not look the 20 years of age that

the mahout claimed one of them was. And amidst all the light and noise of a

cultural programme that was being laid out for the visiting dignitaries, the

two elephants were clearly out of place. I couldn’t believe that these were

animals accorded highest levels of protection under Schedule 1 of the

Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

 

 

 

Elephants in captivity have been undergoing terrible abuse at the hands of

private owners and institutions, being exploited as commercial commodities

in functions and festivals and the same is in violation of the spirit of

Section 43 of WLPA and the WLPA provisions which ban trade and commercial

transactions.

 

 

 

Thus there is tremendous cruelty and torture to elephants, which is in

violation of Article 51 (A) (g) of the Indian Constitution which call upon

all citizens to have compassion for living creatures and Section 11 and

other provisions of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960

which prohibits the infliction of unnecessary pain and suffering on all

animals . Articles 48-A of the Indian Constitution - calls upon

the State

to protect and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country. It is

also relevant to mention that due to abuse of elephants, there has been an

increase in the number of unnatural deaths of mahouts and elephants.

 

 

 

In addition to the distress to the animals, the two elephants constituted a

very big risk to the lives and safety of the people gathered there that

evening. I dread to imagine the prospect of one of the animals turning

violent and causing any harm or injury to the guests that evening. What a

blot that would have been on the event and on India itself! We have seen

such instances that occur at alarming frequency in Kerala when elephants

have exhibited violent behaviour as a result of cruelty meted out by owners

and mahouts. To that extent, exhibiting these animals that evening is

against public safety and in violation of Section 289 of the Indian Penal

Code pertaining to negligent conduct with respect to an animal.

 

 

 

The office of the Chief Conservator of Forests Thane Maharashtra has issued

a circular dated 24-07-2007 prohibiting elephants in the city of Mumbai

Municipal Corporation on grounds of violation of wildlife laws. The office

of the Chief Conservator of Forests Guwahati Assam has issued a circular

dated 18-08-2007 directing DFOs to take action those using elephants for

begging and other performances on grounds of violation of The Wildlife

Protection Act and The Prevention of Cruelty To Animals Act.

 

 

 

There is a specific ban on the use of lions, tigers, bears, panthers and

monkeys as performing animals vide central government notification dated

14th October 1998. It is very necessary that similar ban be imposed on

elephants.

 

 

 

In view of the above, it is very shocking that these elephants have been

permitted to be used as entertainment props to entertain guests and hence

and there is an urgent need for similar bans to be issued on the use of

elephants as performing animals and for commercial purposes in all states of

the country.

 

 

 

I appeal to investigate the use / abuse of these elephants at an event

organised by your Ministry and to ensure that such instances are not

repeated in the future – in the interest of these animals and also in the

equal interest of public safety and well-being.

 

 

 

Thanking you

 

 

 

Sincerely yours

 

 

 

Gopi Shankar

 

No. 216, 10th E Main Road

 

Kalyan Nagar 1st Block,

 

Bangalore 560 043

 

Tel: +91 80 2542 0059 / 99001 72527

 

Email: gopishankar

 

 

 

Enclosed / Attached: Some photographs of the elephants taken with a mobile

camera.

 

 

 

Copies to:

 

 

 

1. The Secretary,

 

Ministry of Environment & Forests,

 

Paryavaran Bhawan,

 

CGO Complex,

 

Lodi Road,

 

New Delhi - 110 003

 

secy

 

 

 

2. Shri A.N. Prasad I.F.S

 

Inspector General of Forests & Director,

 

Project Elephant, Ministry of Environment & Forests,

 

Paryavaran Bhavan,

 

CGO Complex,

 

Lodi Road,

 

New Delhi 110 003

 

gajendra

 

 

 

3. Dr. Anjani Kumar,

,

 

8th Floor,

 

Jeewan Prakash Building,

 

25, K.G. Marg,

 

New Delhi 110 001

 

anjani.moef

 

 

 

4. Conservator of Forests & CWW,

 

Govt. of Delhi,

 

Kamala Nehru Ridge,

 

Delhi 110 007

 

 

 

5. The Chairman,

 

Animal Welfare Board of India,

 

13/1, Third Seaward Road,

 

Valmiki Nagar,

 

Thiruvanmiyur,

 

Chennai-600 041

 

rmkawbi