JOIN USTourism brochures that promote Kerala as a destination invariably tell you that the elephant – free, majestic and roaming in the wild – is an enduring image from life as a Malayali.
At the neighbourhood temple, he’s the gentle beast who lets children pat his trunk and poses patiently for seemingly endless photograph sessions.
He’s also the prized possession of the wealthy businessman who mounts flex boards at town junctions with his picture, announcing how his tusker pipped other elephants with his grand, towering looks at a recent festival.
In Kerala, the idea of an elephant also encompasses a sense of nostalgia and an almost feudalistic pride; he’s the picture of sheer, unaffected animal grace that refuses to fade.
On the other side of this happy picture is the grim story of abused, captive elephants: the story of elephants reduced to circus amusement, fatigued labourers at timber yards and temple showpieces at festivals with teeming, noisy crowds.
Over the past couple of decades, animal welfare groups have launched concerted efforts to rehabilitate captive elephants in Kerala.
The government-run elephant camps in the state come with their own administrative and logistic issues, leaving space for more focused, citizen-centric initiatives in rescue and rehabilitation of captive elephants.
Acclaimed singer Chitra Iyer is taking a little step toward a comprehensive welfare plan for captive elephants in the state.
The Society for Elephant Welfare (SEW), a trust founded by Chitra, has had its first round of discussions with the state government on opening a centre for elephant rescue and rehabilitation.
Kerala has had its share of elephant-loving celebrities but Chitra and her team members are looking beyond and trying to put together a project that also translates to better conservation of the forests.
“When we talk about elephant welfare, we are also talking about safeguarding the forests and replanting of indigenous trees.
SEW is hoping to develop a rescue and rehabilitation centre where elephants can be themselves, unchained and not disrupted by man-made schedules,” says Chitra.
The trust proposes to open the centre near Muthanga in Wayanad but the plans hinge on the government’s support in the form of land in acres and preliminary financial assistance.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Minister for Forests Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan have responded positively to the proposal even as Chitra maintains that it’s a project of passion that needs more people driven by interest in animal rights issues.
The government figures put the number of captive elephants in the state at around 500.
As a norm, the bustling festival season of the year sees the animals pushed through grinding routines as they travel long distances between temples and end up with tremendous stress.
The recurring incidents of elephants running amok are also pointers to the conditions the animals live in. Experts say medical assistance from unqualified doctors and faulty upkeep methods have led to reduced life span of captive elephants.
Recently, a government move to hire out captive elephants maintained by the Forest Department to unauthorised elephant dealers was met with opposition by animal rights activists.
For the ageing captive elephants, weighed down by years of toil in extremely tough conditions, life becomes a hard ask.
Even the most celebrated elephants who are paraded as prestigious possessions in their prime – some of them come with price tags that go over Rs one crore – are discarded later and left to meet a slow, gruelling end.
“We want to take along the elephant owners, mahouts, veterinarians and the public in this project. The owners will be encouraged to be open about the condition of the elephants; we are not slapping cases, we just want them to help us help the elephants,” says Chitra.
In May, the trust proposes to present a project report to the government.
SEW is lining up plans for an elephant watch programme where thepublic could report atrocities on elephants.
As it moves forward, it also proposes to commence training and rehabilitation programmes for mahouts.
In March, SEW organised the Kabini Art Fest in Wayanad where artists, musicians and dancers came together to support the cause of elephant welfare.
“It made a greater impact than a seminar on the issue would have,” says the singer. She remembers Mahadevan, the baby elephant, at a temple she loved as a child during her holidays at her grandfather’s home in Karunagapally in Kollam.
“Years later, when I saw him as an adult, this majestic elephant had been severely bruised and the effect of years in captivity was evident. He died later and it shook me up. Though I knew I had to take a lead in rehabilitating captive elephants, I was also aware of the clout of the elephant mafia. The way forward was in creating an awareness and working with the government on tightening laws against violators of animal rights,” she says.