If jumbo guidelines are implemented, temple festivals will not happen as before: Kerala Minister

Kochi: Hours after Kerala High Court restrained the use of elephants in the state's temples on the pretext of tradition, State Revenue Minister K. Rajan said on Friday that temple festivals will not happen as they were happening till now.

Late on Thursday night, a fresh ruling came from the High Court while considering a batch of writ petitions for the prohibition of cruelty against captive elephants in Kerala by their parading and exhibition in temples and festivals.

“If these fresh guidelines are to be implemented, then the temple festivals hitherto held will not take place. What the various Devasoms have said is true. The state government will now see what can be done in the light of the new order,” said Rajan who hails from Thrissur.

What has come as a shocker for the various temple Devasom’s in the state, which run the temple administration, is the ruling of the Court which read, "We do not believe that there is any essential religious practice of any religion that mandates the use of elephants in festivals. In other words, the animal is treated as a tradable commodity with its owner or custodian being concerned only with commercial returns. Reportedly, the festivals in Kerala are now so commercialised that even before a festival, there is a war or a sort of competition amongst temple committees tasked with the conduct of festivals regarding the number of elephants being paraded as well as the fame of particular elephants/elephants being paraded."

The Court was informed that between 2018-2024, 160 captive elephants have died or in other words, in Kerala, for the years 2018-2024, nearly 33 per cent of the total number of recorded captive elephants (509 in 2018) have died during this short period of seven years.

Looking into all aspects, the court issued orders that from now on, festival organisers must submit applications with all the relevant details before the authorities concerned at least one month prior to the festival.

Further, the court also directed the authorities concerned that they should ensure that elephants must get a rest period between two exhibitions which will not be less than three days; besides, the exhibitors have to ensure that elephants are given sufficient food, a continuous supply of potable water and a temporary tethering facility which is clean and spacious.

Among the fresh conditions that have to be strictly adhered to are that elephants must not be paraded on public roads between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and they should not be transported between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m besides elephants must get at least eight hours of rest during a continuous period of 24 hours.

With these guidelines, the worst affected is going to be the world-renowned Thrissur Pooram and quick in reacting was the Thiruvambady Devasom secretary K. Gireesh Kumar who said that if this becomes a reality, then the Thrissur Pooram will be the worst affected.

“Our festival is spread over 36 hours and from one side itself we need 150 elephants and if the new guidelines come into play, then things will not be the same at our Pooram again. We are going to implead in the case,” said Kumar.