Pinnawela to Yerevan:

A cruel change

Sagarica Rajakarunanayake

The Constitution of India states it shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.

The national and political leaders of India have not failed to ensure that nature and all living creatures of the land are embraced by the Constitution of India and brought under its protection.

It is the Fundamental Duty of every citizen, and also of all state functionaries, to act with compassion for all

 living creatures under Article 51A(g) of the Indian Constitution.

In fact Maneka Gandhi, India’s formidable Animal Rights Activist has on several occasions successfully sought the intervention of the courts against State departments for meting out cruel and inhumane treatment to animals and contravening the provisions of the Constitution of India and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

It is not surprising therefore that in 1994 following public protests, attempts to send an elephant to Armenia in response to a request by the Armenian Government, Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India and his Cabinet decided not to send the elephant to Armenia. A six year old baby elephant named “Veda” from the Bannerghatta Biological Park in Karnataka had been earmarked to be sent to Armenia.

The Prime Minister declared the elephant would not be sent to Armenia “on compassionate grounds.” He further stated that thereafter the gifting of animals from India to another State to build diplomatic relations would be stopped.

It is significant that in taking this decision the Prime Minister and his Cabinet, as citizens and rulers of India were fulfilling their duty of protecting nature and living creatures of their land in accordance with the Constitution.

The decision not to send the elephant “Veda” to Armenia was taken by Dr. Manmohan Singh’s Cabinet in the face of strong representation made by humanitarian organisations.

They pointed out, among other reasons, the freezing temperature of Armenia which the elephant would find difficult to withstand; and the abominable conditions of the Yerevan Zoo where the elephant was to be sent; In India, ‘Veda’ had been living with a herd of elephants in the Bannerghatta Biological Park, Karnataka, where they have freedom of movement, given adequate food and water and taken to the forest in the evening.

The elephants live closely as a herd in this Park. Humanitarian societies warned that if ‘Veda’ is separated from the herd and kept confined in a strange harsh environment, she is likely to undergo both physical and mental suffering.

Armenia, failing to obtain an elephant from India, turned to Sri Lanka. How did Sri Lanka deal with the issue compared with India and considering that the two countries share the same values of compassion and ahimsa with regard to the environment and all living beings?

In India the concerns of humanitarian organisations were heard and in fact were the basis of the Cabinet decision not to gift an elephant to Armenia, while in Sri Lanka the views of humanitarian organisations were ignored and authorities have shown determination to gift an elephant to Armenia despite representation made by them.

Again, while India made a landmark decision taking animal rights several steps forward, by the decision to stop

 gifting animals to other States as a gesture of goodwill, Sri Lanka, is descending to treat animals as chattels, and following an obnoxious and archaic diplomatic tradition, is straining to send a young elephant named Asokamala to Armenia, despite he unfavourable conditions.

It was seen how the Prime Minister of India and his Cabinet were quick to understand the cruelty and injustice of sending away ‘Veda’ from the open Bannerghatta Biological Park to the dismal conditions in the Yerevan Zoo.

In Sri Lanka, sending Asokamala away to the Yerevan Zoo from her present home will be equally cruel and unjust. Asokamala’s home here in Sri Lanka is the famed Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage situated in a large property with trees and foliage and a river running by it where the elephants bathe and cool off daily, Here too, as in the Bannerghatta Park, the elephants live together closely as one herd.

There are also some family units among this herd and Asokamala is fortunate enough to be in one, growing up under the watchful eye of her mother.

It would not only be cruel but against the principles of natural justice to take this elephant away from her family and the herd she was part of, to Armenia where she will be condemned to exist in harsh and dismal conditions in the Yerevan Zoo.

In fact several of our elephants from Pinnawela and the National Zoo have been surreptitiously sent away to other countries of unfriendly climes, to languish in poor conditions in zoos, and the irony is that these animals are sent to this cruel fate by none other than their own custodians.

We understand that the Yerevan Zoo has a male elephant and the authorities there are trying to get a female for it. We are certainly saddened by the solitary existence of the male elephant.

However, it is not just a case of finding a mate. The Armenians must take a responsible approach to the reality of the current status of the Asian elephant in European Zoos. It is the view of conservationists and experts that the current status of Asian elephants in European Zoos leaves little room for optimism.

Birth rates are said to be low and infant mortality, high. Out of 61 zoos 31 have no males. Conservationists opine it would be difficult to justify importing elephants from sustainable zoo reserves in Asia.

The only solution proposed by conservationists is to consolidate zoo elephants in Europe into fewer, social herds; in other words, to transfer elephants to zoos with facilities to maintain good - sized herds and produce normal, natural breeding groups.

What the Armenians must now consider is not to obtain a female Asian elephant but to transfer its single elephant to a zoo that can have a larger herd, in the best interests of the individual elephant and the conservation of elephants in captivity in Europe.

If the two countries wish to improve diplomatic ties, let it be so by all means.

But our politicians must not be allowed to rush to accommodate requests that conflict with our ideals and culture.

As India has pointed out to the world, animals should no longer be used as pawns in diplomacy, which ends up with them being taken away and cruelly confined within a zoo of a foreign country. Let us not allow Asokamala to be such a pawn.