- NET Web Desk
The dispute between the governments of Assam and Tamil Nadu over leased elephants – particularly ‘Joymala’ has now reached the court.
This legal battle erupted after the Assam government today filed a petition in Gauhati High Court; expressing strong condemnation after the Tamil Nadu administration for denying to let four-member delegation from Assam to witness the health condition of the jumbo.
“In the petition, we stated that the elephant [Joymala] is ours and we asked for its return [from Tamil Nadu]. There is no legal connection between a ‘gift’ and a ‘lease’. The elephants were given on lease and it is the duty of the person to return the animal. We had earlier appealed to them [Tamil Nadu] to return the elephants,” – informed the Assam’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) – MK Yadava.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment and Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) today tweeted, noting that the present team is taking good care of the jumbo and recent visuals of cruelty to the animal were old.
Our beloved Joymala is now all hale and hearty.
The present team is taking good care of the jumbo! pic.twitter.com/PBGYPZhtww— MoEF&CC (@moefcc) September 14, 2022
Its worthy to note that the Assam Government has escalated its efforts to repatriate nine elephants back to the State in the wake of the heartbreaking video that went viral showing “Joymala,” an Assamese elephant, being abused in Tamil Nadu.
The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, previously posted the heartbreaking video of ‘Joymala’ being abused by her mahouts, inside the temple premises in Tamil Nadu. They also mentioned that several ankuses were found in the shed where the elephant was chained by 2 legs for upto 16hrs/day.
