GUWAHATI, June 25 ? The use of elephants by the Forest Department of the State to demolish illegal structures as part of the Government?s eviction drive against encroachers in forest areas have drawn widespread condemnation from renowned authorities on animal welfare across the globe. The Forest Department has no right to carry out demolition of concrete structures, having corrugated iron sheet roofs through domesticated elephants. It is a violation of Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act 1960, and is a punishable offence, wildlife experts point out.
Dr Daphne Sheldrick, the chairman of David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Kenya and a recognised world authority on elephants, severely condemned the use of elephants in demolising illegal squatter houses. He said, ?Forcing domesticated elephants to demolish houses and in the process to suffer injury, and priming them with liquor in order to do so is inhumane and outrageous and is an act definitely unworthy of a State who ought to know elephants well, and show them more compassion, having worked with them for hundreds of years?. Questioning the very logic of using elephants for eviction, he said since the illegal occupation of forest land is man-made, it must be resolved by the relevant authority without subjecting the elephants to cruel abuse. The abuse of elephants will definitely project a very poor image of the country, he said and appealed to the authorities concerned to halt this cruel practice at the earliest.
Belindn Wright, the executive director of Wildlife Projection Society of India, New Delhi, termed the use of elephants to push down concrete structures as ?outrageous?. ?It is man?s duty to ensure the well-being of animals that we share the planet with?, she said. She also expressed the fear that angered encroachers might turn their wrath on the elephants. The Asian Elephant Habital Program, the Millennium Elephant Foundation and the International Society for Animal Rights also deplored the use of elephants to demolish concrete structures and said such a practice should be stopped immediately.
It may be mentioned that Union Minister Maneka Gandhi was the first to raise a voice against the ?offenders? and also called up the then Forest Minister G C Langthasa who assured her that elephants would be taken off the drive. But till date the practice is going on with more and more reports of elephant torture coming in. In several areas, elephants were reportedly intoxicated with country liquor before being forced to demolish houses.