Dussehra fair in BRS Nagar: Elephant, camel rides cancelled as AWBI intervenes

The letter, dated September 19, asking for permission was sent to the Ludhiana Police Commissioner which was further marked to the district animal husbandry department.

The department assigned the duty of checking the animals’ heath and all required permissions to two of its veterinary officers and AWBI member Sandeep Jain.

Vinod Kumar, assistant secretary, AWBI, Chennai, in his letter to chief wildlife warden of Punjab and police commissioner of Ludhiana, stated, “The Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued guidelines in letter dated January 8, 2008 under Project Elephant. The Government of India has notified the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 2001, under which any person desirous of exhibiting or training any performing animal shall apply for the registration to prescribed authority, viz AWBI. But the board did not receive any request for registration which is in direct violation of these rules and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.”

The letter demanded immediate cancellation of animal rides planned at the fair.

Suparna Ganguly from Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC) and Compassion Unlimited Plus ACtion (CUPA) from Bengaluru also wrote to Dr S K Khanduri, Inspector General of Forests Wildlife, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

“The fair will expose these animals to large crowds, noise, lights and sound of bursting crackers. Mishaps can easily occur involving human and animal lives. We request you to kindly direct the CWLW Punjab, Mohali, not to issue permission to elephant owners to conduct joy rides in this manner, which is harmful and painful for the animal concerned,” she said. “This would be in direct contravention of the Wildlife Protection Act which clearly enjoins that Schedule 1 animals cannot be used for any commercial purpose. Moreover, if there is any ambiguity in the said Act, then the chief wildlife wardens are expected to take decisions for the welfare of the wild animals and the humans exposed to it and not for the welfare of private elephant business agents.”

Dr Sandeep Jain, the member of AWBI from Ludhiana, said, “Elephant is protected under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and has also been declared as national heritage animal. Elephant owners must have valid ownership certificates/transit permit/permission to be used for commercial activity from CWW, Punjab. It also needs to be examined whether the owners are following guidelines of Project elephant. The issuance of certificates to sell/purchase elephants had been stopped since 2003 in Punjab.”

“The elephants in Punjab (approx 15) fall under the begging elephants category and should never have come in the possession of the people claiming to own them. They are illegal and such rides cannot be allowed,” he said. “Although camel is not a protected animal but its ride in Punjab, where it is not comfortable to walk, is cruelty and cannot be allowed.”

District forest officer Daljit Singh Brar said, “When we got to know about the issue, the range officer was put on duty to check elephant and camel rides during Dussehra.”

Inderjit Sahni, general secretary of BRS Nagar Dussehra Committee, said, “We have cancelled the rides as per directions from authorities.”