Shutdowns and protests are dime a dozen in Assam. The latest is over the reported relocation of a “killer” elephant from a jungle in western Assam to another in a central part of the State, 300 km away.
A large number of people in central Assam’s Lumding took to the streets on Tuesday to protest the State Forest Department’s alleged move to relocate the elephant that was captured on Monday.
Padma Hazarika, a BJP legislator, whose family has a history of taming wild elephants and keeping them as pets, had helped a team tranquillise the rogue from the Rangjuli area of western Assam’s Goalpara district.
“What does the government want by sending a killer elephant to our part of the State? Are we expendable?” asked P. Dutta, a Lumding resident among the protestors.
Wildlife officials said no decision has been taken to send the elephant to the Lumding Reserve Forest, as rumoured.
“The elephant bears injury marks and needs treatment. We are not thinking of relocating it now, as the priority is on providing treatment,” Chief Conservator of Forest Akashdeep Baruah, who headed the committee to catch the elephant said to have killed five people, told The Hindu .
