Activists’ fears about “Pooram violence” : 24 people injured in Kerala

KOCHI: Pakkath Sreekuttan, a male elephant in his late 40s, ran amok at a pooram (temple festival) in Puthiyangadi at Tirur, in Malappuram district of Kerala, injuring 24 people, one of them seriously. The horrific images and videos emerging from this incident have – in the most tragic manner – validated the fears of activists about the unsafe conditions under which elephants are paraded in poorams in Kerala.

This incident has occurred less than a month after the Supreme Court of India stayed the Kerala HC’s order that called for additional safety measures while parading elephants at poorams. The psychological and physical stress on an elephant during the Pooram season is unimaginable.

In November 2024, the Kerala High Court, in its guidelines had clearly taken note of the plight of every Pooram elephant. “… the poor animal is transported in trucks from one festival to another in quick succession mindless of its fatigue, requirement of adequate rest and requirement of proper nutrition,” the HC order had stated.

This cruel treatment of the elephant has taken the lives of both humans and elephants. The HC order had also noted that in the seven years between 2018 and 2024, nearly 154 elephants, 33% of the total number of recorded captive elephants, had died.

The Kerala High Court had heard the case over several days, taken into account ground realities, and passed a well thought-through order.

Activists on the ground in Kerala have documented over 60 incidents of negative encounters with elephants during Pooram Parades over the last two Pooram seasons, with countless human injuries, some fatal. It is this horrific history of maltreatment, psychological stress, and physical strain on Pooram elephants that had led to the Kerala High Court issuing guidelines on safety, mandating a limit on the number of elephants paraded according to the space available, the minimum distance to be observed between elephants, not making elephants walk more than 30 km a day, mandating rest, nutrition, and feed.

The Kerala High Court’s judgment did not ban the use of elephants in poorams, but merely made it more humane and safer, for the elephants and for humans. Yet, these guidelines were challenged by the Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms in the Supreme Court. “The guidelines were all about safety and about the well-being of elephants. What possible objection could anyone have to them?” argues Alok Hisarwala Gupta, founder of the Centre for Research on Animal Rights, and FIAPO Trustee.

Unfortunately, the apex court partially struck down the HC order, while simultaneously asking the organisers to “strictly comply” in “letter and spirit” the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2012. The ground reality remains unchanged. Organisers of poorams have routinely violated the 2012 rules on rest, feeding, parading, fire and crackers.

On 5th January, five elephants were paraded inside the closed compound wall of Thrissur Thiruvambady temple, Thrissur district. This is only one example of such violations. Sadly, the cries and protests of Pakkath Sreekuttan are being misheard as violent attacks, he wants to be set free.

This is the second such incident, within the same year, involving the same elephant. Pakkath Sreekuttan had run amok injuring many people in April 2024 and was temporarily suspended from Parades by the Kerala Forest Department.

All scrutinies have been abandoned, and he is back on the parades.We sincerely hope the apex Court and the state administration intervene to protect both humans and elephants and redirect cultural practices towards more compassionate alternatives.

We sincerely hope the apex Court and the state administration intervene to protect both humans and elephants and redirect cultural practices towards more compassionate alternatives.