Not Indian culture to feed firecrackers, kill: Javadekar on Kerala elephant death

Taking serious note of the death of a pregnant wild elephant in Kerala after she was fed firecrackers-filled pineapple, Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday (June 4) said, “It is not in Indian culture to feed firecrackers and kill.”

The incident invited widespread anger, with many, including celebrities, expressing their outrage on social media.

Taking to Twitter, Javadekar said the government will not leave any stone unturned to bring the culprits to book.

“Central Government has taken a very serious note of the killing of an elephant in Mallapuram, #Kerala. We will not leave any stone unturned to investigate properly and nab the culprit(s). This is not an Indian culture to feed firecrackers and kill,” he said in a tweet.
In a statement on Wednesday night, Javadekar had promised a stern action against those responsible for cruelly killing the pregnant wild elephant in Kerala. [Even though the Minister said the incident occurred in Malappuram district, the actual place of occurrence is Palakkad district. Social media is rife with factually wrong information. The elephant strayed out of the Silent Valley forests in Palakkad. Also, there are reports that various political outfits are trying to communalise the incident by hinging on Malappuram, a Muslim-dominated district].

Issuing a statement here, Javadekar had said, “Environment Ministry has taken a serious note of the death of an elephant in Kerala. Has sought complete report on the incident. Stern action will be taken against the culprit(s).”

Awhad urges Kerala CM to take action

Maharashtra Housing Minister and NCP leader Jitendra Awhad on Thursday wrote to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressing concern about the brutal killing of a pregnant elephant in the southern state.

“We all look up to Kerala as an epitome of social justice and equality. We have also been studying how these virtues have been further strengthened under your leadership,” the minister wrote in the letter addressed to Vijayan. Ahwad urged the Kerala chief minister to charge the culprits under the Cruelty to Animals Act and ensure ‘strictest’ possible punishment to them.

The elephant succumbed to an act of human cruelty after a pineapple filled with powerful crackers offered allegedly by locals exploded in her mouth. The elephant died at Velliyar River on May 27.

According to sources, the post-mortem report revealed that the elephant was pregnant and her jaw was broken. She was unable to eat after she chewed the pineapple and it exploded in her mouth, sources said.