Posted On Saturday, August 04, 2012 at 09:05:39 AM
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Sunder at Jyotiba Temple
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Thirteen-year-old Sunder, the elephant at Kolhapur’s Jyotiba temple has drawn an international outcry with the People for Ethical Treatment of Animal (PETA) vociferously campaigning for the brutalised animal in chains. PETA has blamed the mahout for the heinous crime.
Now the story emerging from the temple is that the animal’s ill-treatment started only after the exit of the mahout a few months ago. People with vested interest are now hoping the animal will be shunted out of the premises as it is eating into their pockets, preventing them from commercially exploiting the 40 acres of temple land originally devoted to the upkeep and rearing of the elephant. On July 26 Paul McCartney interrupted his rehearsals for London Olympics to send out a message in support of Sunder.
On Friday, former Baywatch star Pamela Anderson wrote to Vinay Kore, the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), who had donated Sunder to Jyotiba Temple in 2007. “I am in tears over the plight of the little elephant, Sunder, who you so kindly gave to Jyotiba Temple with the best of intentions. I am sure you are also crushed by what has been done to this little soul.
He is the age of one of my sons, and as sensitive as anyone’s child. Like other victims of abuse, he will be scarred for life mentally, as he already is physically,” wrote Anderson. But Kore is unmoved.
“Anderson’s suggestion is not acceptable to the people of the area as traditionally the procession of Deity Jyotiba is taken out in the presence of elephant, horses and camels on full moon day of every month. Changing the tradition is only possible with the consent of devotees,” he told Pune Mirror.
“Some people are blowing the issue out of proportion. All necessary steps for improving his (the elephant’s) condition is being taken by the Devasthan committee,” Kore insisted. The expenditure on the elephant is borne by Western Maharashtra Devesthan committee.
But it has been finding it difficult to fund the food and medical bills of Sunder. Now vested interest is being quoted as the reason for Sunder’s plight – his confinement in chains and the eye injury has already made international news. The story that before 1945 the temple had five elephants and a 40-acre land was dedicated for grazing the animals.
Sunder was looked after well for last four years by his mahout. But four months back the mahout quit following the dispute over his salary with the temple committee.
A resident of the the Wadi Ratnagiri (the village where the temple is located), who did not wish to be named, said, “After the mahout left, the committee did not bother hiring new one and asked their untrained employee to take care of the elephant. Since then elephant was locked inside and he has become irritable.”
He added that when devotees raised their voice against the confinement of the animal, the temple committee hired two mahouts from Karnataka. “When they started taking him out for strolls and his wounds became public,” he explained. Local people alleged that the temple committee is more interested in the 40-acre land dedicated for elephant grazing.
So elephant is become aproblem for committee. “People campaigning against the abuse of the elephant are only talking about releasing him. No one is talking about proper care for him,” said a local who would like to see Sunder remain with the temple. “What about the hundreds of elephants that are kept by temples in South India?” he asks.
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08:23:44 AM