The Pregnant Elephant Killing in Kerala And Continued Animal Cruelty in World
Just A Murder, A Killing or Heinous Crime?
A pregnant elephant died after being fed a cracker laden pineapple in Kerala. And no it was not an instant death like you fed the poor speechless animal a pineapple, elephant says ouch and passes off to reach the St Heaven's door. It was a heinous, cruel, painful death that apparently burned the internal organs of the "speechless" animal who stood inside a water body till her death in hope for any mercy or any relief. As she died, suffering the unspeakable, excruciating pain, with her, her unborn fetus died too.
If this is not terrorism then what is it? Maybe worst than terrorism.
This is not an accident, but to me, it sounds more like a manifested and executed crime. Animal Cruelty and killing is nothing new in a state like Kerala. Kerala, allegedly the most literate state in India. Kerala, a self-proclaimed "God's Own Country". Kerala the first few states in India with a large number of reported COVID cases. In fact, I was in great admiration of the state with the way it was dealing with COVID. I started having more respect for the state. All my discussions on COVID and the current situation went mentioning and praising its state. Alas, "God's Own Country" does not justify such a heinous act.
Justice Denied in Justice Prohibited
When I read this news first, I was shocked to know that someone had the heart to feed anyone a cracker, especially an animal. A speechless animal who did no harm. An animal that is one of the highlights to bring tourism to the state that is infamous for its industrial evolution. Yes, I am very sad to make such statements but I am highly disappointed with the state that perpetrates animal cruelty and does nothing to set things right.
And about people condemning animal rights by trying to dilute justice with underprivileged, please grow some conscience. Please. How long will you play a separatist card to sweep all the issues down under the carpet? Nothing justifies Human cruelty towards animals. Just cause animals cannot vote, does not mean they do not have rights. The nation that cannot protect its flora and fauna, least it could do for its citizens.
In #Kerala someone fed an elephant crackers due to which the poor, speechless animal died standing in a river for hours. Shame on humanity and the local government if they do not bring criminal to justice https://t.co/NQ4Y72FDdF@PMOIndia @CMOKerala @xpresskerala @INCKerala— Numerounity (@NumeroUnity) June 2, 2020
Humans who use animals for their gain yet could not take care of them, are not humans but parasite. #StopAnimalAbuse https://t.co/g62DfLXtSs— Numerounity (@NumeroUnity) June 4, 2020
Pineapple Bomb, Really?
Come every Diwali and I hear "ban the crackers" loud and clear everywhere. And I always supported the movement too. I have seen people's overdrive to light dangerous crackers especially that 5000+ patakha ladis [string bombs] on series that cause immense pain to human beings wonder what they do to the street and domestic animals. So when I hear things like- Elephant was fed the pineapple bomb that is made to kill the wild boars, it raised many questions in my mind. Like - what is all with the killing of wild boras to use their skin/meat? and why a "Pineapple bomb"?
Do we not have the culture of high fence to create boundaries against any infiltration? Those boundaries with glass pieces are only for humans? Yet we designed "pineapple style" bombs/crackers and if that is legal?
I have two dogs. If you give them anything, they will smell before chomping it inside the mouth. I believe every animal has that instinct to smell and observe the food before gulping. And pineapple not being a regular fruit for elephant, what are the odds that elephant ate it by mistake and if not fed in the garb of a natural fruit? Where are the post-mortems report? What the law-abiding locals of sorry to say- God's own country was doing when they saw an elephant standing in the middle of the water for days? Where were the Forest officers? Why the sudden change in official statements when the matter became public? Too many questions yet barely any answers.
Kutta, Suwar, Jaanwar Kahi me, Mein Tera Khoon Pee Jaonga
I think a lot of problem lies here. lies in our day-to-day verbal expletives in real and reel world. We have attached the "Jaanwar" [animal] word so inveterately with vices, giving a natural disgust to the word. Like stalking and women objectification, this is another decades-long mal-practice of Cinema- Indian or Western. Why our abuses/ expletives need to be attached to an animal known otherwise for its loyalty like a dog? In any case, there is no expletive attached to an elephant, then what propagated such hatred or such cruelty?
The Internet of Things, The Angles of Issues
I first read about this cruelty two days back when I started posting about it. There were fewer posts that made me sad on our collective stands on important issues like this. I was sad to see an almost negligible discussion on this. Apparently, the paid trends of Twitter have left a really little consciousness in the user's mind.
I went around some important "active" handles to see their response to such a thing in India. Disappointing! Except for one celeb, not many people talked about it. Even the handles responsible for biodiversity was mum about it. All this happened just a day after the respected PM gave a speech on Biodiversity days before World Environment Day.
Mindful Stirrings, Mindless Shakings
Thankfully, there are some stirring online on this topic today. However, with the mindful stirring, a lot of mindless shaking is also coming. Some popular media and people have started linking this issue with religion and political warfare. All to sweep this under the carpet? Well, that's how we deal with issues in India. We sweep it down the carpet by transposing, inter-linking it with irrelevant issues. Some have galls to compare the dead Elephant with the likes of human vs human meanderings, while some are conveniently bringing the religious angle to the whole issue. The fact remains- this inhuman deed has happened and happened in the area with the stated stats. There is no denial in that. Playing a religion or political card is unfair and totally Karmic. You may not be able to stop it but you can always pray for empathy and hope some of these "attention-seeking" noises grow some conscience.
We as a nation stood for mass-murderers like Kasab in the name of human rights but who cares when an animal dies? Why go far? I once cracked a joke on a Patanjali product in a family Whatsapp group, it gave all right to a senior patriarch relative to verbally abuse and ostracize me. Glad he stopped at that. Whereas his son made a full FB mockery of me when I questioned his Political leaders' move against migrants in Corona. These are the same people who got shook when Kashmir faced political lockdown but no words for a speechless animal. Unless we do not rid "politics" from the "cause", there will be no respite, no resolutions.
We as a nation stood for mass-murderers like Kasab in the name of human rights but who cares when an animal dies? Why go far? I once cracked a joke on a Patanjali product in a family Whatsapp group, it gave all right to a senior patriarch relative to verbally abuse and ostracize me. Glad he stopped at that. Whereas his son made a full FB mockery of me when I questioned his Political leaders' move against migrants in Corona. These are the same people who got shook when Kashmir faced political lockdown but no words for a speechless animal. Unless we do not rid "politics" from the "cause", there will be no respite, no resolutions.
I really hope that like Nirbhaya, this heinous act should get enough momentum, proceeded by speed justice to bring some law/action towards Animal protection. We failed to nip animal cruelty at the bud, but if we fail now, we would be giving way to more heinous crimes not just towards animals but towards humans as well.
The World Needs Massive Law Against Animal Cruelty
The world is inundated with human stupidity wherein they mess up with nature and disturb the balances. The growing number of Cyclones, Quakes, Global Warming, and Pandemics are evidence of the same.
Fight with equals! Unless a carnivore becomes a life threat, what is the point of taking a gun and killing all sorts of animals in the food chain an adventure? Real adventure and thrill would be when you can fight them down using your real strength and only when they become a real-life threat and all measures to control fails. Be a human, a supposedly most evolved specimen with intelligence. Killing or torturing speechless animals for your beauty products, medical testing, fun, false supremacy, experimentation, or fun is not fun but cowardice. If human killings/atrocities on human bother you, then animal cruelty and slaughterhouses should not let you sleep. Since you have evolved from stone-age to the digital age, channelize your testosterone or righteousness for creating a better world, a win-win solution for all kinds of life. That should be your true purpose.
Time to act, time to give justice a chance. When you are not the authority, be the voice.
If that is too hard, eat an exploding cracker and remain quiet/alone without any help for a few minutes. Maybe you need some bunions to gain empathy.
Let Justice and Empathy prevail!
A Very Angry and Heartbroken Author
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0 Visitor's Comments:
Hi Folks,
You heard me...now its time for Bouquets and Brickbats!