The High Court has issued important guidelines regarding elephant processions in Kerala. One of the main directives is that the organizers of such events must ensure all necessary documents, including health certificates for the elephants. District-level committees must review these certificates before granting permission for elephant processions.
The High Court order specifies several other guidelines, including that elephants should not be kept standing in procession for more than three consecutive hours. The division bench, comprising Justices A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and A. Gopinath, issued this order. The guidelines also mandate sufficient food, rest, and adequate space for the elephants, along with a specific distance from the public.
The fitness certificates for the elephants must be provided by government-appointed veterinarians. Committees should be established in each district to ensure the effective implementation of the order, with a member from the Animal Welfare Board included. Additionally, the distance between elephants during processions should be maintained at three meters.
The court has also included four Devaswoms as parties in the case. It has prohibited the appointment of people under the title of “Elephant Squad” during the processions, directing the relevant Devaswoms to comply. The court has also ordered that capture belts should not be used to restrain elephants. This directive has been issued to the Guruvayur, Cochin, Travancore, and Malabar Devaswom Boards.
