Activists slam jumbo offering at Asramam Sreekrishna Swami Temple

KOLLAM: A Nadaykkiruthal or the ‘offering’ of an elephant to the temple as part of ritual scheduled at the Asramam Sreekrishna Swami Temple in Kollam on Tuesday has animal lovers fuming. The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) petitioned the Kollam district collector who is also the chairman of the district monitoring committee for captive elephants to stop it. It says it is a blatant violation of a Supreme Court order that bans the handing over of elephants lacking proper ownership certificate issued by the Chief Wildlife Warden. 

The program will have the presence of forest minister K. Raju, apparently giving silent permission to violate the law. The temple, as part of its festival on the day of Srikrishna Jayanti, will receive Kannan, the elephant. "Kannan has no legally registered ownership details. The SC order on May 04, 2016, prevents it,” M.N. Jayachandran, president, Idukki SPCA, told DC.

Also, a divisional forest officer should certify on the facilities at the temple based on the 2003 norms to conserve captive elephants. The SC order states, "The persons who are in possession of elephants shall not  part with the elephants by way of transfer in any manner. If any ownership certificate has been issued, the same shall be withdrawn subject to the final verdict of this court."