Guwahati: The Assam government has taken the effort to have Tamil Nadu return the abused elephant Joymala.
A team from the Forest Department would travel to Tamil Nadu to retrieve Elephant “Joymala” and 8 other elephants on September 2.
In Tamil Nadu, nine elephants have been kept against their will. These elephants were leased from Assam in 2008 for temple visits, but they have subsequently been retained against the law.
This is in response to the Assam government’s decision to file a lawsuit against the Tamil Nadu government.
The government of Tamil Nadu is not helping the government of Assam send the elephants back.
Assam’s Principal Chief Conservator and Chief Wildlife Warden, MK Yadava, reportedly stated that “Joymala” couldn’t be brought back since the Tamil Nadu Government did not “cooperate.”
The Tamil Nadu government allegedly sent out a notice to take back “Joymala” in May or June of this year. The elephant, however, belongs to a temple and not to their Forest Department.
As a result, if the Assam government attempts to recover “Joymala,” it will technically be robbery since the elephant isn’t in the care of the Tamil Nadu government’s Forest Department.
It’s interesting to note that the government of Tamil Nadu oversees the trust for the temple where “Joymala” has been forcibly incarcerated. All costs were to be covered by the Assam Government.
MK Yadava stated, “We requested their bank information, and we will transfer $5 lakh. Subsequently, we will pay for all of the costs. Despite the order, the elephant hasn’t been let go.
Recently, videos showing how “Joymala” was mistreated by her mahout inside the temple were made public by PETA India. She also experienced torture in 2021.