Festival enthusiasts hold 'symbolic' pooram without jumbos in protest

Thrissur: A group of festival enthusiasts in Kerala staged a protest on Saturday, holding a symbolic version of the iconic Thrissur Pooram festival without elephants. This protest came days after the Kerala High Court imposed new conditions on the use of elephants during such festivals.

The protest took place in front of the Vadakkumnathan Temple, the traditional site of the annual Thrissur Pooram celebrations. Instead of the usual parading of elephants, participants held traditional items like "nettippattam" (decorative elephant caparisons) and "venchamaram" (decorative circular fans) in their hands. The protest was organized by the "Poora Premi Sangham," a group of Pooram enthusiasts, to draw attention to the importance of preserving the traditional rituals of the festival. They expressed concerns over the impact of the court's verdict on the continuation of such customs.

The protest was inaugurated by senior CPI leader and former minister V.S. Sunilkumar, who urged both the state and central governments to address the issue and suggested the possibility of new legislation to ease the implementation of the High Court’s guidelines. Festival-goers participating in the protest raised alarms over the potential disruption to many of the state’s renowned temple festivals due to the new stipulations.

On Wednesday, the Kerala High Court made significant rulings regarding the use of captive elephants for festivals. The court likened the life of a captive elephant to that of "eternal Treblinka" and stressed the need for reforms. The verdict came in response to concerns about the exploitation and mistreatment of elephants in religious festivals, which have long been justified as part of tradition.

The court issued several conditions for granting permission to parade elephants during festivals. These included ensuring proper care, such as adherence to a feeding schedule, fitness certification by government veterinarians, clean shelters, and adequate rest. Additionally, the court laid down restrictions on the transportation of elephants and prohibited certain practices such as elephant contests and exhibitions that involve extreme actions.

The ruling also emphasized that "elephant squads" and "capture belts" used to control the animals should not be allowed, reflecting the court’s concern over the welfare of the elephants involved in these cultural events. The court criticized the Kerala government for failing to enforce previous Supreme Court directives regarding the management of captive elephants.

This protest reflects the growing tension between upholding traditional customs and addressing the ethical concerns surrounding the use of elephants in religious and cultural festivals in Kerala.

With PTI inputs