A 68-year-old woman devotee was killed when an elephant gored her with its tusks at Sabarimala here following which demanded stop to the use of jumbos at the shrine.
The victim, Baby, hailing from Varkala, was killed late last evening by the jumbo named Vallabhan which was brought for the 'Vilakkezhunnellippu' ceremony, animal rights campaigner Heritage Animal Task Force (HATF) claimed today.
In the wake of the incident, the animal rights outfit has demanded stoppage of using jumbos at the hill shrine for carrying idols as part of the festivities.
The Thrissur-based HATF today sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also the chairman of National Board for Wildlife, seeking stoppage of the practice of using jumbos for temple processions.
The elephant, belonging to Malayinkeezhu Sree Krishna Swamy temple here, has a track record of killing two mahouts within the past four years, the letter claimed.
"Many elephants kept at temples in Pathanamthitta district were kept away from Sabarimala and deployment of Vallabhan from Malayinkeezhu to Sabarimala is a blatant violation of elephant parade rules," it said.
The outfit also alleged that the use of captive elephants for festival processions at Sabarimala was conducted without obtaining the prior permission of district collector and other authorities concerned.
The letter said that immediately after the incident, temple authorities conducted the procession of the idol without using an elephant and entrusted the priest to carry the idol.
"Yesterday's incident reiterates the urgency of stoppage of the unnecessary practice of using elephants at Sabarimala for carrying the idol," HATF Secretary V K Venkatachalam said.
"Priests carrying idols of deities during the procession is the age old practice in many temples in Kerala.But the decision of the temple authorities to use jumbos has now proved fatal for devotees in shrines like Sabarimala where killing of a devotee by an elephant is unheard of in the past," it said.
It also pointed out that the elephant parade guidelines, laid down by the Supreme Court, specifically states that jumbos with a track record of killing human beings must be barred from festival processions and other uses.
"Therefore, we expect that PMO will use this opportunity to put an end to the unnecessary practice of using chained elephants to carry the temple idols, as part of the festivities, with immediate effect," the letter added.
"The members of the committees will inform the Railway
Control Room whenever movement of elephants is noticed so that same can be passed on to train drivers for controlling the speed.
The local level monitoring committees will be constituted in all the 29 elephant corridors falling within railway tracks," the statement said.
For improved communication, the Railway Control Rooms will be manned by both Forest and Railway personnel, it added.
Underlining the need for a long-time strategy to stop all such incidents in future, Sonowal said the Forest department has to improve their communication network and adopt new technologies.
He instructed the department to implement Advance Warning System, solar lights with alarms at vulnerable railway tracks, use of remote sensor and GPS indicator insertion at leaders of elephant herds to locate their movement.
Sonowal also stressed on the need to study elephants' behaviour in the area by the Forest department and construction of need-based overpass and underpass at railway tracks by the Railways.
Urging the Forest and Railway officials to be more sensitive to the well-being of animals, the Chief Minister directed to immediately conduct sensitisation meeting of train drivers (loco pilots) and higher officials of railways.
He informed that he had already discussed the issue of mowing down of elephants by trains with Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who assured him to extend all possible help in improving the situation.
During 2016, the number of elephant deaths on railway tracks has gone up alarmingly with the Forest Department putting the figure at 16 so far compared to only four such incidents in 2015.
In this month alone, 11 elephants have been killed by trains with seven in Nagaon district, while the rest in Karbi Anglong and Bongaigaon.
