Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Five young elephants have completed a 3,000-kilometer trek from Assam to Tamil Nadu, triggering a fierce dispute over their legal status and the nature of their transfer. While official channels describe the move as a donation, emerging evidence suggests the animals may have been bought by religious institutions.
Durga, a five-year-old female, arrived at the Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple in Madurai on September 14. She was followed by Hiralal and Shiva, who reached the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai on September 25. Rupsing was moved to the Sri Vaidyanatha Swamy Temple in Nagapattinam, and Bijuli was delivered to the Shri Kanchi Kamakoti Gajashala in Kancheepuram. Local reports explicitly identified Rupsing as a purchase from Assam.
Questions surround the involvement of Krishnamurthy Vaidyanathan and his wife, Anuradha. The pair reportedly met with Assam wildlife officials in August to initiate the transfers. Sources claim the couple maintains ties with multiple temple trusts, though their specific role remains unconfirmed in official records.
Arun Prasanna G., founder of People For Cattle in India, is demanding transparency regarding the chain of ownership and the financial trail. He warned that the lack of disclosure undermines regulatory standards. “If it was genuinely a donation, the complete donation documentation should be placed in the public domain,” Arun said. “If money changed hands or any consideration was involved, that raises an entirely different set of legal and regulatory questions.”
The Assam Forest Department processed the transport clearances despite conflicting documentation. For instance, Rupsing’s age records show a discrepancy of nearly two years between separate forms. Meanwhile, the Gauhati High Court has refused to halt the transfers but has ordered the government to respond to welfare concerns.
Critics are also highlighting the physical toll of the long-distance journey. They point to the separation of young elephants like Durga and Bijuli from their original habitats. Authorities have yet to verify the provenance of these animals or explain why local alternatives were not considered before forcing the elephants into private temple custody.
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