Other States - Rajasthan   

Pink City shows the way

Sunny Sebastian

Use of "ankush" during the game of elephant polo banned

JAIPUR: This season elephants will enjoy playing polo here in the Pink City. For the first time in the history of the centuries old game here no "ankush" (the hooked metal goad) would be applied on elephants during the game. And that is a beginning which the whole country can perhaps emulate when it comes to corporal punishment to the captive population of elephants.

If the Rajasthan capital, which has a migrant population of 100-odd domesticated female elephants, is showing the way for the rest of the country and Asia on how to treat its pachyderms more humanely, the credit should go to an NGO, Help In Suffering (HIS). With its relentless efforts on the elephant-front for the past three years HIS could manage to bring about an official ban on the use of "ankush" on the animals deployed for rides in Amber Palace on the outskirts of the City.

The alternative elephant polo this season has the support of the UK-based organisation, Elephant Family. Prestigious MNC Cartier has agreed to lend its name to the promotion of an alternative ethic for captive working elephants. Fifteen to 20 games are held here every year using elephants, besides the annual elephant polo, forming part of the elephant festival organized by the Rajasthan Tourism Department at the time of Holi.

"We cannot end elephant polo in Jaipur just like that as it is an ancient tradition. However we can make the event an enjoyable experience for both humans and the elephants with the introduction of more humane alternatives," says Christine Townend, Chair of Trustees of HIS. "Working with the Rajasthan Government we have already shown that we can effectively improve the conditions for the captive elephants at Amber."

"Elephant populations in India and also in the whole of Asia are under severe stress. The captive ones are rendered jobless due to changes in the mode of transport and lifestyle of people. The ones in the wild are also no better of as the forests are shrinking," says Mark Shand, author and trustee of Elephant Family.

"Elephants love to play around. They are very intelligent animals. They have a strong bond, at times stretching to several decades, with their mahouts. There is no need for use of torture instruments such as ankush for controlling the elephants. We can do it with the help of verbal commands," asserts Mr. Shand, a one-time associate of the Queen Mother of Jaipur, Gayatri Devi.

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