Guwahati: In a move that has sparked controversy, the Radha Krishna Temple Elephant Welfare Trust (RKTEWT) is set to acquire yet another elephant from the Northeast, this time from Assam.
According to sources, the 18-year-old female elephant, named Bishnupriya, is currently under the care of ISKCON Mayapur Dham in West Bengal and is slated to be transferred to Vantara, a private zoo owned by industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s youngest son, Anant Ambani.
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The elephant was originally from Assam and was handed over to ISKCON Mayapur in 2015 by her owner, Molin Moran, a resident of Kakopathar in Tinsukia district.
Moran had then stated in an affidavit that he was unable to maintain the jumbo in Assam and hence, decided to entrust the elephant in the full-time care of ISKCON Mayapur.
ISKCON Mayapur is located in West Bengal’s Nadia district. The elephant is taken care of by Mayapur Animal Protection Team.
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Moran had handed over the elephant to ISKCON for using it for religious purposes and claimed that he had no objections to Bishnupriya being engaged in religious processions and other functions.
He also clarified that he had not sold the said elephant to any other person and had not violated the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act.
However, the elephant’s peaceful existence at Mayapur was disrupted in April this year when she accidentally killed a mahout belonging to another elephant.
Sources said following the accident, which resulted in the death of the mahaut, a syndicate engaged in the illegal trafficking of Northeast elephants to Kerala and Gujarat became active, seeking to transfer the elephant to Vantara.
Sources suggest that despite ISKCON Mayapur’s reluctance to part with Bishnupriya, West Bengal Forest Department officials have been actively supporting her transfer to Vantara.
This has led to suspicions of a nexus involving an underground elephant trade racket, with allegations that forest officials are acting at the behest of top TMC leaders in West Bengal to expedite the transfer.
The proposed transfer of Bishnupriya has raised significant concerns among environmental activists and animal welfare organizations.
Furthermore, the legality of the transfer has come under scrutiny. According to Indian wildlife regulations, the approval of the Assam Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) is mandatory before any elephant from the state can be transferred to another. While sources within the Forest Department claim that Assam CWLW has not given its approval, this information could not be independently confirmed by Northeast Now.
The racketeers are believed to have misled the Supreme Court-appointed High Powered Committee (HPC) to obtain permission for the elephant’s transfer. The HPC was formed by the Tripura High Court in 2022 and was given jurisdiction over the entire country by the Supreme Court in March 2023.
In addition to the concerns raised about Bishnupriya’s transfer, the Kerala High Court has recently imposed a temporary ban on the transfer of elephants from other states into Kerala, citing concerns about the well-being of captive elephants in the state.
The transfer of Bishnupriya to Vantara would mark the latest in a series of controversial elephant transfers from the Northeast to the RKTEWT. Since 2021, at least 39 elephants have been transported to Jamnagar from Arunachal Pradesh, with 17 being transferred in April and June 2022 alone. Tripura has also sent 23 elephants to Jamnagar, with the most recent transfer of 12 elephants sparking controversy over transportation procedures.