Madras HC to hear petition on sending TN mahouts to Thailand

The Madras High Court will hear a petition against sending 6 mahouts and 7 cavadies (assistants to mahouts) for training in Thai Elephant Conservation Centre, officials said on Monday. The petition was filed by animal activist, S. Muralidharan. It had come up before the bench on Monday and has been listed for hearing on Wednesday.

Chennai :The Madras High Court will hear a petition against sending 6 mahouts and 7 cavadies (assistants to mahouts) for training in Thai Elephant Conservation Centre, officials said on Monday. The petition was filed by animal activist, S. Muralidharan. It had come up before the bench on Monday and has been listed for hearing on Wednesday.

Muralidharan, representing Indian Centre for Animal Rights and Education (INCARE), had filed a public interest litigation (PIL). In the petition, he contended that it was not the mahouts who require training but instead forest department officials of Tamil Nadu.He also stated that public money could be spent better by inviting trainers and experts from Thailand to train the veterinarians here in Tamil Nadu and the saved money could be provided as incentives to the mahouts.

He said that India has a 4,000 year history of training and taming elephants and that there were historical evidences of elephants having been trained in the country. He also cited the example of the Chola emperor who had carried the art of mahoutry along with his army to the entire South East Asia. Muralidharan in his petition said that India has 30,000 elephants when compared to the 3,000 elephants of Thailand and added that it was a disgrace to train mahouts in a tiny country.

He said that Irular and Malasar tribes were experts in training elephants but the country lacks good veterinary care for elephants.On November 21, the Tamil Nadu government in an order stated that 6 mahouts and 7 cavadies from the state would be sent to Thailand for training and the cost would be Rs 50 lakh. (IANS)