When will the elephants’ cry in the wilderness end?
Recently, a tragic incident involving the death of an elephant occurred in Kerala. The elephant ate a pineapple that had firecrackers stuffed in it which were allegedly intended to kill ‘wild boars’ and died tragically soon after. The post-mortem report established that the elephant was pregnant. The elephant’s death was so gut-wrenching that it pulled at the heartstrings of lakhs of people who shed tears at the erosion of human values that caused the death. But, as is the won't these days, every incident is used to pursue an agenda and the focus in this instance became Kerala, the state, in which the incident occurred instead of the ghastly incident. Instead of condemning the inhumaneness of people and their irresponsibility and lack of commitment to protecting wildlife, the focus quickly shifted to attacking Kerala, the state which was recently lauded globally for the way it handled the Corona pandemic.
It is now widely accepted across the country that the ‘anti-Kerala hatred’ espoused by a section of the society reflects their intolerance towards development, rational thought, and equality practiced in the state. Even while fighting the Coronavirus, Kerala had to fight the Sangha Parivar’s hate agenda. Now, using this incident that exposes the perversion of an irresponsible farmer or hunter, the Sangha Parivar is back to doing what it is best – spreading vile and venom against the state. A few union ministers are even working overtime to establish the role of Muslims in the incident. The union health minister has not only expressed shock but also warned of stringent action. A BJP leader who is notorious for her ‘love for animals and hatred for humans’ has tried to distort the incident by spreading information that the incident occurred in Mulsim-dominated Malappuram. People had to correct her later that the incident occurred in Palakkad.
To capture wild boars, people have been using different sorts of tactics, sometimes totally barbaric, and this is not restricted to Kerala alone but is seen in the Malnad region in Karnataka also. Many times, tragically, human beings have died instead of wild boars as a result of such inhuman acts. It then becomes our moral responsibility to condemn such practices and pressurize the government to punish the guilty. Instead of doing that, as in this recent incident, some mischievous elements are using it to blame and hate the people of Kerala by projecting falsely that the elephant was killed deliberately.
When it comes to the killings of elephants, Karnataka can’t feel any less guilty than other states. Farmers in Kodagu and Malnad use electric fences to protect their farmland against the fury and destruction caused by elephants. Many incidents of people getting caught in such electric fences and losing their lives have been reported. In 2017, four elephants died instantly after coming in contact with the electric fences erected by the forest department. In the same month, six elephants died in similar accidents in other parts of the state. Why don’t people who are mourning the death of the elephant in Kerala respond to these incidents that occur at regular intervals in Karnataka?
Also, the conflict between farmers and elephants is not new. When people started encroaching forest land in their quest to increase the area agriculture, elephants also started entering agricultural land. Many elephants and farmers have lost their lives in these conflicts. When the forest department failed to stop the elephants from raiding agricultural areas, farmers started using different strategies to combat the elephants including electrical fencing. From 2009 to 2017, the number of elephants that died in accidents involving electrical wires is a whopping 461. Of these deaths,106 deaths were reported in Karnataka and 17 in Kerala. On average 50 elephants die in such incidents in India every year, Karnataka topping the list. As these deaths happen due to the electrical fences erected as protective measures, such deaths are dismissed as ‘accidents.’ So why is the Centre then suddenly shedding crocodile tears at the death of this elephant?
This incident holds a mirror to the fact that India is becoming a dangerous country for the vulnerable sections of the population including women and for its sheer neglect of the ecosystem including rivers and wildlife such as elephants as confirmed by several reports. Everything that the Vedic culture deemed as ‘sacred’ has been exploited for the same reason. Even as women are viewed as ‘worthy of worship’, India has the ignominy of having burnt widows on their husband’s pyres. The contradiction doesn’t end here. India also has the notoriety of shunning widows into separate areas, such as Vrindavan and perpetuating the practice of getting the widows to shave their heads. The Ganges, which is considered sacred, has been dirtied so much that we are not able to clean it and restore it to its former glory even after spending thousands of crores of rupees.
Similarly, elephants are considered ‘Godly’ but are again exploited for the same reason. Exposing the atrocities unleashed on elephants on the pretext of religion, artist Sangeetha Iyer has produced a documentary titled ‘Gods in Shackles’ that reveals how elephants are tamed to be used in religious practices, the way they are exploited, the pain they endure in chains, and the injuries they are subjected to. Though several laws have been enacted to protect wild animals, these have not been used to protect elephants. If the Centre is truly committed to protecting elephants, it should implement strong punitive measures against those who knowingly perpetrate such atrocities against these wild animals. Elephants should be free of human shackles. By ensuring this, the government can restore the cultural ethos of India that has for hundreds of years regarded elephants as holy.
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Alleging unauthorised sorting of postal ballot covers, TMC files complaint with EC
Kolkata (PTI): The TMC on Saturday said it has filed a complaint with the Election Commission, alleging unauthorised sorting of postal ballot covers at an EVM strongroom in Kolkata.
TMC workers, who have been camping outside the Khudiram Anushilan Kendra, alleged that eight trunks of postal ballots were brought in at 4 am and were taken to a room, which has no CCTV coverage.
"We have been demanding that every single millimetre of space where EVMs and postal ballots be under CCTV surveillance. But as these trunks were taken inside, it was clear that they were taken to a room not under CCTV cover. Why should this happen," a TMC member asked.
Voting machines from several assembly segments of northern and eastern Kolkata are stored at the strongroom at Khudiram Anushilan Kendra.
As TMC activists were demonstrating, BJP's Shyampukur candidate Purnima Chakraborty reached the spot with her supporters, escalating tensions.
Both sides started shouting slogans as police stood between them, attempting to bring the situation under control.
Chakraborty claimed that sensing defeat, TMC workers were creating chaos outside the strongroom.
Later, the TMC said it filed a complaint with the EC over the issue.
Similar scenes were witnessed outside the strongroom at the Barasat Government College in North 24 Parganas district, where TMC workers demonstrated, alleging that the CCTV was switched off for 17 minutes in the morning.
TMC's Ashoknagar candidate Narayan Goswami reached the spot, demanding that he be allowed inside the building.
An election official said the CCTV cameras were working fine, but the power cables of the monitors installed outside the centre snapped.
"The 17-minute footage will be shared with TMC or whichever party wants it," he said.
In Purba Bardhaman district, the BJP shared a purported video that showed a person scaling the walls of the University Institute of Technology, where EVMs had been stored.
The EC said the video was old and the person seen in it was engaged for the installation of CCTV cameras and ACs.
