Guwahati, Sept 2: Amid media reports of “inhumane treatment” meted out to a female elephant from Assam in Tamil Nadu, a team, comprising Assam forest, veterinary and police officials, is on a tour to the southern Indian state to inspect the condition of the captive elephant.
The four-member team, led by additional principal chief conservator of forests Hirdesh Mishra, will discuss the matter with the forest officials in Tamil Nadu, inspect the elephant, named “Joymala” and pave the way for its return to Assam.
The team also comprises Padmashree Kushal Kumar Sarma from the College of Veterinary Science, Assam Agriculture University; Morigaon superintendent of police Aparna Natarajan and district veterinary and animal husbandry officer, Tinsukia, Rupjyoti Kakoti as members.
It may be mentioned that Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, as a follow-up action to the media reports about the elephant’s ill treatment in Tamil Nadu, held a meeting with senior officials of the state forest and police department and decided to send the four-member delegation to the southern state.
The meeting held at the chief minister’s office was also attended by environment and forest minister Chandra Mohan Patowary.
“We are against any form of cruelty to animals. Hence, reports of ill-treatment to Joymala, an elephant from Assam, in Tamil Nadu have pained us,” the chief minister later reacted on Twitter.
A video of the elephant being allegedly tortured in the southern state has also gone viral on social media.
Animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, India (PETA India), had on August 26, released a video on Twitter showing Joymala being tortured by mahouts inside a temple in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, All Assam Students’ Union chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharjya expressed concern over reports of the elephant’s condition and urged the state government to take immediate measures for its treatment.
Besides, the veteran AASU leader also appealed to the government to pave the way for the return of some other elephants from Assam that were taken to Tamil Nadu several years back.
