Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
Are mahouts whipping boys?
|
The spate of jumbo tragedies in the State has evoked ire from one and all. Prasanna Varma tells the other side of the story.
|
FAR FROM THE BEATEN TRACK: Prasanna Varma, whose study on mahouts reveals stark, sad truths
EVERYTHING BEGAN with a series of elephant killings in the State. Authorities have cracked the whip, a code of conduct for mahouts is being formulated and the urgent need for training these men is being mooted. In all these debates and discussions the mahout's voice is unheard.
Uneducated, unorganised and uncared for, these men usually shy away from media gaze. But they have bared their soul to Prasanna Varma, whose project for her Masters Degree in Applied Psychology (Bharatiyar University) on `Job Stress, Job Satisfaction and Locus of Control,' based on the mahouts of Kerala, reveals, quite poignantly, their side of the story.
"If you could pick one common refrain in their thoughts it is their disgust with the way they are treated by society," says Prasanna. "Mahouts from different regions of the State had different views about their jobs. For instance, Manoj from Kottayam firmly believed that the elephant was not created for entertainment. He considered it a beast of burden and fancied that at work this animal rarely turned violent. It was a view that was quite contrary to what the mahouts in Central Kerala had. And Binu from Thrissur said that last season, he managed to take the elephant to more than 90 festivals, when it was only around 60 the previous year."
There is one question that most of the elephant welfare groups should ask themselves. Have they shown the same zeal and enthusiasm when it comes to caring for the mahouts who lead the elephants along? The answer would be a `no'. At many of these places the temple authorities do not provide daily fodder to the elephants. After the strenuous festival parade (ezhunnallippu), the mahouts go in search of fodder and water for the animals, just manage to eat something and take a short nap, before the next procession.
The problem is worse in the districts of Thrissur and Palakkad, where some of the processions cover up to six kilometres. Here, usually the fodder and water is provided only at the starting point, forcing the elephants and mahout to travel under the scorching sun without either rest or food. "These mahouts have no way to release the stress they go through. I feel that the Devaswoms and owners should provide some financial and social security to the mahouts, akin to the schemes adopted by the Guruvayur Devaswom," points out Prasanna.
Unscrupulous elephant owners try to squeeze in the maximum number of bookings during a given year. They even delay the musth, a stage which elephants go into, usually once a year, through cruel methods. But when the animal misbehaves, the owners blame the mahout. "Before the elephants are paraded at a festival it is mandatory for them to be examined by a veterinary doctor. But, the mahouts say, on the very first day of the festival, a mahout was killed and four of the examined animals were found to be in a state of musth. However, no one questioned the credibility of the doctor or the system," adds Prasanna.
"Did the media ever spare a thought for our families, our kids, when they showed one of our brothers being gored to death?" asks a mahout.
Did anyone, for that matter?
K. PRADEEP
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Metro Plus
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
Visakhapatnam
|
