I wish the Supreme Court comes out soon with a judgment that bans elephants from being used in temples — for the sake of the voiceless beasts (“ >Gods in chains: SC to decide on plea to ban elephants in temples ,” April 12). The temple authorities, who are either helpless or indifferent, do not take note of what amounts to acts of torture that the elephants are subjected to. It is a common sight to see mahouts taking out the elephants early in the morning and making them stand at the doors to the temple till afternoon. In the name of ‘blessing devotees’, the elephants are forced to lift their trunks at least 500 times a day which causes untold suffering to the animals. In the evening too, one finds the elephants being taken to the areas around the temple to beg, and which essentially repeats what was done in the morning. This apart, the animals are often chained on stone floors which causes stress. One often sees the elephants shifting their weight from leg to leg unable to bear the strain of standing for a long time. No amount of ‘rest and rejuvenation’ can save the elephants from the torture they undergo the rest of the year. The animals can be handed over to zoo authorities to spend a peaceful life.
Ganesh Subramanian,
Chennai
