Activist harassed for documenting elephant suffering at TN temple
Srivilliputhur: People For Cattle India (PFCI) founder Arun Prasanna was allegedly harassed and attacked while attempting to document the condition of Joymala (also known as Jemalyatha), an elephant brought under duress to the Krishnan Kovil temple in Srivilliputhur, Tamil Nadu. The elephant, believed to have both her ears torn off – a sign of abuse from an ankusha (hooked device) – is kept chained under tight security. Prasanna, who has offered to donate a mechanical elephant to the temple through a letter addressed to the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments (TN HRCE) department, faced hostility from a mob allegedly incited by temple authorities. The activist was hit with an ankusha and had to call the police for assistance. However, a disturbing development was that the police allegedly reset his mobile phone, erasing all evidence collected by him. Prasanna has lodged a formal complaint with the Virudhunagar district superintendent of police, requesting appropriate action against those involved.
Elephant Joymala’s suffering
Speaking to The Hans India, Prasanna said, “The incisions in Joymala’s ears show that she is being restrained to force her.” “Her injuries, heavy chains and marks on her body are clear signs of the suffering she is going through. The temple not allowing photos or videos of her condition shows that they are desperate to hide the truth. If she was being cared for, why would they resort to violence to suppress the investigation?”
Reports of Joymala’s abuse have been coming in since 2021, with videos of the elephant being beaten by different mahouts. These incidents, including one that took place inside the sanctum sanctorum of the Krishnan Kovil temple, have prompted the Assam government to demand her return. Joymala has reportedly been in illegal custody at the Srivilliputhur Nachiyar Thirukovil temple for nearly a decade.
Legal efforts to save Joymala
The Gauhati High Court recently allowed PETA India to intervene in a case filed by the Assam Environment and Forest Department seeking to repatriate Joymala to Assam. PETA India has called for Joymala to be relocated to a sanctuary where she can live unchained, free from abuse and with other elephants.
A PETA India inspection on 27 July 2022 revealed horrifying details about Joymala’s plight at the Krishnan Kovil temple. Inspectors observed a mahout twisting her skin with tongs to control her, found multiple curbs in her shed and discovered she was deprived of food and water for hours. Her prolonged confinement on concrete has reportedly led to painful infections in her feet.
Public threat warning
The PFCI warns that abused elephants pose a major threat to public safety. Incidents of frustrated captive elephants killing their mahouts are not uncommon. In Tamil Nadu, Deivanai, an elephant at the Tiruchendur temple, trampled to death her mahout and another person in a recent tragedy.
“Joymala’s case underscores the urgent need to address the systematic abuse of captive elephants and highlights the importance of ethical alternatives such as mechanical elephants for religious and cultural rituals,” Prasanna said.
