SC order on elephants in temple fests turns focus on decades-old tussle in Kerala: Culture vs safety
Hindustan Times Mumbai|December 20, 2024
The Supreme Court's order on Thursday, effectively staying restrictions imposed by the Kerala high court on the use of elephants in temple festivals may have, for now, resolved the latest battle between tradition, heritage, and culture on one side, and safety of both elephants and the public on the other -- but the larger war is likely to continue.
Vishnu Varma

KOCHI:

In that stayed ruling delivered on November 14, a high court bench, comprising justices AK Jayasankaran Nambiar and Gopinath P, went above and beyond the Kerala Captive Elephants (Management and Maintenance) Rules, 2012 while deciding on a suo motu case regarding cruelty to elephants.

Thus, while the rules mandated "sufficient space" between elephants in parades, allowed processions on roads in early mornings and evenings and did not specify how long the elephants could be displayed, the court mandated a three-metre gap between elephants, a ban on processions on public roads between 9 am and 5 pm, and a minimum of eight hours rest for the pachyderms in 24 hours.

The high court's insistence on adherence to the guidelines it issued understandably touched a raw nerve among temple festival committees and large fan clubs of captive elephants in the state. Its order was appealed in the Supreme Court by the Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms, organisers of Kerala's iconic Thrissur Pooram festival.

They, and other organising committees, claimed that for centuries, elephants have occupied a central place in major temple festivals and used primarily to carry the deities.

The high court highlighted its seriousness by ordering, on December 11, a contempt of court case against the Devaswom officer at the Sree Poornathrayeesa Temple in Thrippunithura for flouting these guidelines at the annual festival of the in the first week of December.

Bu hikaye Hindustan Times Mumbai dergisinin December 20, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Bu hikaye Hindustan Times Mumbai dergisinin December 20, 2024 sayısından alınmıştır.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

HINDUSTAN TIMES MUMBAI DERGISINDEN DAHA FAZLA HIKAYETümünü görüntüle
Hindustan Times Mumbai

No matter what I do, my son will always be my priority: Sania Mirza

Sania Mirza has been jetsetting since her appointment as an ambassador for Dubai's Sports Council in December. But her busy year didn't keep her from ringing in 2025 with her \"forever date\", her six-year-old son Izhaan Mirza Malik.

time-read
1 min  |
January 07, 2025
Hindustan Times Mumbai

Love lockdown: OYO's new rule for unmarried couples sparks mixed reactions

On Sunday, the hotel booking platform OYO introduced a new policy that prohibits unmarried couples from checking into its partner hotels in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.

time-read
1 min  |
January 07, 2025
Hindustan Times Mumbai

Tough questions for India after two debacles in a row

A second series loss raises more questions than answers as head coach's performance comes under the lens

time-read
4 dak  |
January 07, 2025
Hindustan Times Mumbai

Gambhir, Sharma face BCCI scrutiny

India have lost six of their last eight Tests; they were saved by the weather in Brisbane while the Perth Test win was the only bright spot.

time-read
3 dak  |
January 07, 2025
Hindustan Times Mumbai

Fan, Ma Long out of tour events over row with WTT

These are somewhat turbulent times in world table tennis.

time-read
3 dak  |
January 07, 2025
Hindustan Times Mumbai

How far are our leagues from introducing VAR?

Could take up to 18 months to implement it, says Trevor Kettle, federation's chief refereeing officer

time-read
3 dak  |
January 07, 2025
Hindustan Times Mumbai

NCLAT to hear Meta's plea against ₹213 cr fine on Jan 16

META ASKED NCLAT TO HEAR THE CASE URGENTLY, NOTING ITS IMPLICATIONS AND THE STAKES INVOLVED

time-read
2 dak  |
January 07, 2025
Hindustan Times Mumbai

India Eyes Private Capital For $107 Billion Grid Expansion

India is asking states to attract more private capital to accelerate the expansion of its power transmission network, part of a plan to revamp the country's grid and accommodate more clean power.

time-read
1 min  |
January 07, 2025
Hindustan Times Mumbai

SC transfers CCI's e-commerce probe cases to K'taka HC

The Supreme Court on Monday centralised all petitions challenging the Competition Commission of India's (CCI) anti-trust probe against e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart to the Karnataka high court, while also urging the high court to decide the matter expeditiously.

time-read
1 min  |
January 07, 2025
Hindustan Times Mumbai

Services activity rises to 4-month high in Dec

Growth in India's services activity, as measured by the Services Purchasing Manager's Index (PMI), rose to a four-month high of 59.3 in December, up from 58.4 in November, according to a release from S&P Global on Monday.

time-read
2 dak  |
January 07, 2025