Gajendra Moksham: Stop Animal Cruelty! Protect our Elephants to protect our Civilization

Gajendra Moksham: Stop Animal Cruelty! Protect our Elephants to protect our Civilization
  • Elephants are being revered across India for their majesty and loyalty, personified in the figure of Lord Ganesha, and constitutes the pride of Kerala state
  • Only through befriending elephant owners, can westerners have a proper insight
  • The owners whole family should be supported in their endeavours to prolong ancient tradition of elephant breeding, instead of being condemned

The Western 'Ignorance Is Bliss' Attitude:

Most of the western people excel in perceiving the details which might be an eye-sore to the western eyes itself. Following our highly subjective, sensational media, living our hectic western lives we do not really bother to see the whole context. Being so pro animal rights movements, so eco-friendly, and 'enlightened 'we tend to look down at the rest of the world.

Anna Golanska, a Polish woman feels accountable enough to raise this serious issue regarding Westerners turning a blind eye to elephant cruelty.

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Seeing majestic Kerala elephants parading at temple festivals, we moan about their apparent mistreatment, mentions Anna. Our minds act like a Velcro for all horrific incidents ( what stays in minds is chains, shackles, aggressive novices mahouts inflicting injuries on them ), and Teflon for all positive imagery. Let's not be like blind men from an Indian tale, who exposed to an elephant for the first time, cared to notice only one detail each, disregarding the whole picture.

A forest official shoots a tranquilizer dart at a wild elephant in a street in Siliguri, India, February 10, 2016. Image source: REUTERS/Stringer


Interaction with elephants is not idyllic. There are problems, major issues, that need to be addressed and corrected. And the first step to such correction is honest, factual documentation which in turn leads to awareness and to the resulting public pressure that can produce remediable action.It all starts with awareness. And that means real stories. Not self-serving fiction, not half-truths, not outright lies masquerading as reportage, not sensational pieces spread by NGOs, adds Anna.

What is the percentage of all those with negative standpoints, who know at least one elephant owner personally? I have the honour to know one. The pure love and passion with which he talks about his elephants, made me think once that he talks about his own children. I even envied those animals that they have such a devoted guardian. Glamorous animals are treated like members of the family, featuring in many family photos.

Would any concerned father ever intentionally mistreat his children?

A father feeds, nurtures, provides medical health, even talks to them. The whole family should be supported in their endeavours to prolong ancient tradition of elephant breeding, instead of being condemned. Only under the kindest and most intelligent of care can his elephants be content and happy.The mahouts working for him are highly-trained 24/7 committed to the animals, understanding their psychology. They certainly ensure those sensitive and emotional mammals happiness and well-being.

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Anna suggests, only through befriending elephant owners, can we, westerners have a proper insight. Generalizing, judging may only trigger confusion and anger. Let's make an effort to change our blind perception. Only knowledge, full picture bring harmony. Elephant sanctuaries funded by western money are not necessarily the best option. For a lot of families, it would be just like leaving an older member of the family in an old people house, stripping them of proper individual care and that incomprehensible for a lay person attachment to a human being.
Being revered across India for their majesty and loyalty, personified in the figure of Lord Ganesha, and constituting the pride of Kerala state, elephants could only be provided the best possible conditions to live by their owners who are best aware of their individual need, characters, she adds.
– prepared by Karishma Vanjani of NewsGram. Twitter @BladesnBoots
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