The rain in August brings joy to Kolhapur, part of the Maharashtra’s belt of sugar cane. The fields are doing well and people get from the heat that portray the landing and spirit. This year the villages are in sadness.
Madhuri, 36, also called Mahadevi, was moved from her house in the village of Nandani to Vantara, rehabilitation facilities for wild animals operated by the family of industrialists Ambani, Jamnagar, Gujarat, more than 1,170 km away.
Her Mahout is no longer with her. “It looks like I lost my daughter. My days are empty as this Gajshala (Elephant Home),” says Nidgun. Originally from Davangere in Karnataka he was with Madhuri for seven years.
Her order to transfer came 28 July after the Supreme Court Directive. She was moved from the 1300 -year -old Jaina Mutta, Shree Digambar Jain Atishay Kshetra Vrishabhachal to Vantary, “Anant Ambani’s dreams”, according to information on the website. Anant is one of the three children of Reliance Mukesh Ambani, one of the richest men in the world.
On August 3, the paintings began to pour thousands of people who march early in the morning, to protest, from Nandani to Kolhapur district team, about 40 km away and attractive to return Madhuri. “Did Ambani just got our Madhuri?” Asks Mahavir Jugale, 56, farmer based in Nandan.
Vijay Teli, 51, in the Gandhi Chowk, a busy market in the village, says: “Mate Mula La Vegla Kela Ahe,” (separated the child from their mother). Whenever the bell rings, we still think she is coming. “
Aspect
July 28 The Supreme Court confirmed the order of the High Court in Mumbai on July 16 to transfer an elephant to Radhe Krishn Temple Elephant Welfare Trust (RKTEWT), part of Vantara, registered in 2019. Vantarou suggests that there are 238 elephants in the facility.
In the lane adjacent to Mutt, Sushila Kambho, 70, says, “Madhuri said dangerous and sick. How could she be dangerous? On the day of her farewell, she surrounded her with 2,000 people. She even hurt her? Sushila, in the home, remembers Madhuri when she was three years old. Sakrebail elephant camp, Shimoga in Karnataka.
Ismail Nidgun, Madhuri Mahout at her empty shed. | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini
Mutt, which decides on the social-religious affairs of the Digamar Jain Community of several villages in Mahara and Karnataka, has had a history of domesticating elephants over the past 400 years, they say leaders in the community. Elephants were part of religious processions and participated in festivals such as Ganeshotsav and Muharram. “We considered her a family member with her. PETA (people for ethical treatment of animals) claim to be desperate, are false,” says Mutt, Shirish Herwade.
He says that officials Peta visited Mutt in 2020 and proposed to move Madhuri to Vantara. “They offered us a robotic elephant. When Mutt refused, Peta offered us the development of money and infrastructure,” he added .
Peta claims that the elephant had “untreated diseases, including rotting legs, overgrown nails, abscesses, arthritis and behavioral distress,” says a high committee report (HPC) approved by SC. HPC was established by the Tripura High Court in November 2022, after a lawyer, Sudipta Nath, filed litigation in the field of public interest in investigating past elephants to Rktewt.
After a public shout, the government hit the Maharashtra and organized meetings with a delegation from Kolhapur and the Vantar team. On 6 August, the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis publicly announced: “Vantara offered the establishment of the Satellite Rehabilitation Center in Nandan and joined the Maharashta Government in court and asked to return Madhuri.”
Vantara issued a statement on social media saying that their “involvement in this matter was limited to the hearing strictly in accordance with the binding instructions issued by the Supreme Court and Bombay High Court”. He said that Vantar’s role was simply as an animal manager.
Vantara designed the Nandani Center, which will include hydrotherapy pond for joint and muscle relief, larger water formation for swimming and natural movement, laser therapy and nursing room for physical rehabilitation, indoor night shelter.
“From the beginning, these people should use their specialists in the village itself instead of relocating an elephant,” says Sagar Shambhushete, one of Mutt.
Mutt claims that after the meeting of 2020, Peta began documenting Madhuri’s pictures while she met the villagers.
Between Mutt and HPC
The highest authority of Mutt says on condition of anonymity: “Peta is less organizations for animal rights and rather an intermediary for large people.” She claims that Peta joined her hand with Vantara, which collected animals from all over the country. Jain Mutt had a certificate of ownership under the Nature Protection Act of 1972.
Peta rejects the claim and claims that it was a HPC decision. They also say that Mutt ignored the laws on nature protection on several occasions. “The temple was provided with a personal opportunity to take place at all levels of the process, but failed,” says Khushboo Gupta, director of advocacy PETA, adding that it was not the first elephant transported to Vantara from Maharashtra. The elephant from the Sangli district was also accepted.
The Mutt Stone Building building with a wooden interior sees thousands of devoted from the whole area of Kolhapur-Sangli and some parts of Karnataka. “When nothing worked, Peta approached HPC; they just wanted our elephant at all costs,” says Shambhushete.
Former judge Deepak Verma led HPC and issued the first order of December 28, 2023. HPC report 3.
Mutt also argued that finding HPC subcommittee messages are “distorted” and “exaggerated” and that Peta “lacks context”.
Selfie point several hundred meters from Jaine Mutta, Madhuri’s previous home. | Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini
The subcommittee consisting of the forest department officials visited the Mutt premises, inspected the facility and recommended improvements, including the opportunity to socialize. The Committee also confirmed that the physical comfort of the elephant, diet and nutrition was maintained.
After three months of Vivek Khandekar, another main main conservator of the forest (wildlife), looked at the equipment and observed that “the back of the elephant and nails show good improvements and walks correctly.” He also noted further improvements, including a daily walk of 5 to 10 km and a weekly bathroom in the Panchgang River.
Mutt representative says: “We made all team recommendations within three months of the first inspection in June 2024.”
The protests of the echoes of the village
The accumulation outside Nandani read: “One signature for Madhuri”. Every corner of the village is plastered with such banners. MLC Satej Patil launched a petition with an online signature, which received 2,04,421 signatures from all over the country. “We sent hard copies to the President’s murmu through the post,” he says .
Meanwhile, in Kolhapur, the “Boycott Jio” movement was intensified with the participation of up to 743 villages. The movement that began on the social media was later headed by former deputy and leader of farmer Raja Shetti. They say: “At least 2 lakh people have transferred their sio numbers to other networks.” Shetti claims that Peta offered him 2 crore to help convince Mutt to transfer an elephant.
Meanwhile, Shetti reportedly wrote a viral in 2018. It was asked to move Madhuri to Gadchiroli Animal Center until they found Mahout. Shetti says, “Mutt approached me to do something. But we found Mahout in a month. At that time no one was bothering, so why now?”
Vantary’s involvement
Local residents and their representatives also raised concerns about similar announcements sent to several mutts in Mahari and Karnataka. Villagers ask if Peta and HPC are engaged in the transfer of elephants to vantara.
In the neighboring district of Kolhapur in Sangli, Ganpathi Panchayatan Devasthan confidence in Tasagaon claims to have accepted a phone call from a man claiming to be a veterinarian with a government facility, and offered to provide an unsatisfactory certificate of transfer of Gauri’s credibility to Vantara. “I asked him to give us a written proposal. Meanwhile, Nandani’s problem spread,” says Rajendra Patwardhan, president of confidence in Tasagaon, which brought an elephant in 1998.
“Boycott Jio” campaign for Madhuri in Nandani. , Photo credit: Emmanual Yogini
Patwardhan says similar complaints were filed against Karisiddeshwara UTT in the Karnataka and Mahantshwar SWAMI district in Raichur. The Environmentalist from Bengalur filed a complaint about the rehabilitation of the Padma elephant from the Shedbal in the Mahari of Dhurvy of Alakhnur and Meeniky from Bichala.
Conservatory consider this situation to be advantageous by the government for limited resources. The co -founder of the Stripes and Green Earth Foundation, Sagnik Sengupta, said: “This situation appears because Vantara offers devices that can help elephants in need, but that could be effective if there are rescue centers across the country.
Meanwhile, he says that nature protection based on an anonymity based on Bengalur says: “But for the government, private rescue centers are the first choice to save costs. However, handing out exotic animals to private players is not viable.”
snehal.mutha@thehind.co.in
Edit Sunalini Mathew
