Other than watching the elephant with curiosity for as long as it takes, many people do not often show kindness or compassion to the big animal. More than the curiosity of elephant stories, reports of cruelty towards them are filling the news these days. Last day, sad scenes of elephants being beaten by mahouts at Guruvayur Devaswom's elephant camp at Punnathur Kotta, came to light. Unfortunately, another news came yesterday that an oncoming gas lorry completely tore off the tusk of an elephant which was being loaded to a lorry in the same district, Thrissur. It has only been five or six days since Thanneer Komban, who reached Mananthavadi town through the Karnataka forest and spread concern was captured through tranquilization, but the officials' failure in the health and safety measures that should have been taken later, resulted in the elephant death.

Three mahouts have been suspended by the Devaswom Board after the footage of them beating elephants at the Guruvayur elephant sanctuary came to light. Taking the matter seriously, the High Court has ordered an immediate inspection of the situation in Punnathur Kotta and has directed to ensure the behaviour of the mahouts in the elephant camp and the management and maintenance conditions of the elephants through the CCTV footage. One of the scenes was a mahout brutally beating an elephant's tail to make the elephant turn over while lying down to take a bath! The Erumapetty forest department has filed a case over the beatings and has decided to cancel the licenses of the mahouts. Action and punishment are good, but won't those who have no love, affection and mercy for the mute animals come back here with such 'care' after the official action expires? That should never happen again.

Strict restrictions were put in place for the elephant processions and the elephants started getting enough rest time only after the suffering and torture faced by the elephants that are taken to faraway places for festival processions and other things came on the news. Punnathur Kotta in Guruvayur is the Devaswom's own elephant camp. The elephants were beaten there not when they disobeyed or created a situation of fear. The practice of giving mahout license to those who see animal husbandry as just a job and who do not have the distinction that they are taking care of animals that need love and care must change.

It is reported that it was some of the pilgrims who captured the footage of the elephant beating in Guruvayur from a distance. The real truth came out thanks to them. That is why the High Court has directed that the CCTV footage from the elephant management centre should be secured. The matter was dealt with by the Devaswom Bench of the High Court. The bench should issue strict orders to ensure that such torture does not take place not only in Guruvayur but also in elephant camps and elephant breeding centres in various parts of the state. Those mahouts should be fired when their cruelty towards mutes is revealed. The Forest Department has directed the Devaswam to take departmental action against the six mahouts in the Guruvayur incident. In all such cases, the unions are the ones who come as protectors of the mahouts. We should put politics aside at least when it comes to mutes. They love us not based on politics.