The life of an elephant in captivity is an 'Eternal Treblinka' (an extermination camp built by the Germans in Poland to eliminate the Jews), the High Court remarked in an order issuing new regulations on parading elephants in festivals in Kerala.
The High Court bench comprising A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and Gopinath P referred to Treblinka, infamous for being the second-deadliest extermination camp built and operated by Nazi Germany, in the introduction to the order on issues related to captive elephants in Kerala.
The High Court has issued a set of directions to regulate parading/exhibition of elephants in the state. It has been said that the number of elephants that can be paraded will depend on the availability of space, enabling the maintenance of the minimum distance fixed above inside the temple or any other place where the parade is proposed.
As per the guidelines issued by the High Court, fitness certificates shall now be issued only by a Government veterinary doctor, and no procession of elephants through public roads shall be permitted between 9 am and 5 pm. The District committee has been directed to ensure that no elephant shall be made to walk for more than 30 km a day for the purpose of transportation. All transportation above 30 km shall be made by an approved vehicle.
The elephant shall not be transported for more than 125 km in a day by any means. No elephant shall be transported for more than 6 hours in a vehicle in a day, and the speed of the vehicle shall not exceed 25 km per hour while transporting an elephant.
The officials of the Motor Vehicles Department shall ensure that speed governors are fixed on all vehicles engaged in the transport of elephants and that the maximum speed setting is set at the limit fixed above.
An elephant shall not be transported between 10.00 pm and 4.00 am. An elephant shall not be exhibited for a continuous period of more than 3 hours, the HC has directed. It has also been directed that there should be sufficient space to parade the elephants with a minimum distance of 3 meters between two elephants and a minimum distance of 5 meters from the elephant to flambeau or any other source of fire. The High Court has also banned any kind of contest involving elephants, such as saluting, lifting the head, and showering flowers.