Leave the elephants alone

  

Elephant crushes mahout to death in Chennai

Scores of people get killed by the elephants  every year. Most of the southern states'  places of worships do have these innocent animals. Most of the time they are tethered to  thick iron chains. Instead of leaves and branches most of these unfortunate victims are fed by the devotees of the food of their choice.  Devotees keep  feeding them with the food they love most and in the process their food habits change and though they are provided with leaves and branches they are rationed.  They eat sweet rice, idly (steamed rice cakes) and dosas.( Indian pizza)

The poor mahouts who are  caretakers of these largest land animals make them beg on the streets which are hot and seething. They are taken along crowded lanes and roads.  The humans who lose patience at the slightest pretext expect that these animals who are jailed for their life and have sent decades of captivity to behave patiently. Blowing horns, shrill music, milling crowds, disturbing drunkards who pull their tails or naughty people who prick them with sharp objects, blaring lamps and non-stop walking, and a hungry stomach and many more should not disturb the equilibrium of the elephants. What a cruel humanity!

They are made to live on hard stones and under the roofs. They are chained and punished with bells that disturb their peace for ever. As 'corruption'  is  'head deep' here no elephant would receive her quota of food. Even their hairs are pulled out and used to make rings of gold or silver which are considered to  fetch 'fortune' for the wearer. 

Hope the cruelty to these animals would stop as it has happened in the case of  the circus elephants which were made to ride cycles and stand on stools or forced to play footballs by cruel men.