By Risidra Mendis

The Sri Dalada Maligawa that houses the sacred tooth relic and a place that is worshipped by thousands of locals and foreigners has today become a torture ground for two innocent baby tuskers.

While Buddhists and devotees worship Lord Buddha and the many gods of the devales at the Temple of the tooth relic, Diyawadane Nilame Nilange Dela stands accused of inflicting cruelty on two baby tuskers Raju and Sindu to tame them and present them to the Asgiriya and Malwatte Mahanayakes on August 7.

Despite President Mahinda Rajapakse attempting to revoke his initial order and take the two baby elephants back to Pinnawela, The Sunday Leader reliably learns that the Mahanayakes of the two chapters have prevailed on the President not to retract on his promise.

Inflicting cruelty

The Mahanayakes who are responsible for protecting and preaching Buddhism are allegedly supporting Dela to inflict cruelty on Raju and Sindu. Photos of Dela hitting one of the baby tuskers with a long pole was released to the media recently. According to reliable sources Dela allegedly used heated iron rods to burn the baby tuskers to get them to obey his orders.

The Pinnawela elephant orphanage has 88 elephants and three tuskers (not born at the orphanage). While 50 elephants were born at Pinnawela 65 were previously released to temples.

On July 25 the two baby tuskers were forcibly taken away from Pinnawela. According to eyewitness accounts Dela had arrived with around 50 policemen and forcibly taken the babies away.     

Director National Zoological Gardens Duminda Jayaratne also helped Dela achieve his goal by ordering the veterinary surgeons at the orphanage to tranquilise the baby tuskers in the night. A veterinary surgeon said elephants and especially baby elephants are not tranquilised at night as it could be dangerous to their lives.

Tranquilise the babies

However according to reliable sources Jayaratne has ignored all safety measures and ordered the veterinary surgeons to tranquilise the two babies. The director had then left half way through the operation. Was Jayaratne bowing to political pressure and acting like a political stooge to save his job, or was he afraid of Dela’s threats when he put the lives of two baby tuskers at risk last week?  

Eyewitnesses at the scene said the two baby elephants once tranquilised, struggled to get to their mothers. Dela had refused to sign the document for the release of the two babies and it was the driver of vehicle No. 226-9308 Saman Sisira, who signed for the release of the two babies at the gate. The babies were wounded and one had broken its tusk after he was taken to the Maligawa.

Secretary to the Cabinet D. Wijesinghe and Additional Secretary G. Hapangama having signed the Cabinet paper for the release of the two elephants are now silent on this issue. The Sunday Leader learns that Wijesinghe has told zoo officials that this is an order from the top and not to interfere in this matter.

On whose orders?

The question is whose orders are these government officials following? Is it President Mahinda Rajapakse’s, the Mahanayakes or Dela? President Rajapakse responding to letters sent by the Sanga, veterinary surgeons, zoo officials and animal rights activists issued a statement to return the two babies to their mothers.

 However The Sunday Leader learns that due to pressure from the Mahanayakes the president has reversed his order. It was President Rajapakse who took a decision to stop the gruesome gassing of stray dogs in the country. It remains to be seen if the President a strong Buddhist himself, will save these two innocent babies from such inhuman treatment in the name of Buddhism and humanity or take the advice of the two Mahanayakes.

Hitting with poles

 President Young Zoologists’ Association (YZA) Pubudu Weeraratne said one baby is tied to a coconut tree within the premises of Dela’s house and the other is being kept in a garage. Having been separated from their mothers at less than three years, the two babies are not even allowed to be together.

“Dela has started hitting the two baby tuskers with poles to tame them. He has also used heated iron rods on the animals to get them to obey. The babies’ food consists of coconut and kitul branches. They are not given milk. This food is un-suitable for baby elephants.

“We hear that the babies are not eating this food and are being given saline. Whenever another elephant goes past, they scream in pain for their mothers.

 “Pinnawela officials are taking measures to drain out the milk from the mothers to reduce the discomfort caused to the animals. It is vital that these two animals remain at Pinnawela for breeding purposes. Dela has disgraced the entire Buddhist community by what he has done,” Weeraratne said.

Taken away in the night

Coordinator Elephant Conservation Forum Shantha Jayaweera said this was  the first time that two baby tuskers (the first to be born at Pinnawela) were taken away from the orphanage in the night. “In 1950 a tusker was shot by the government. This is the second time in the history of the country that such cruelty is imposed on two baby tuskers. Dela initially had picked two elephants of ten and 11 years.

“However, when he realised that these two babies were tuskers he allegedly threatened Pinnawela officials and forcibly took them away. He also took two mahouts from the orphanage to be with the babies. If by any chance the animals are harmed he will blame the two mahouts,” Jayaweera said.   

Speaking to The Sunday Leader Zoologist Dilan Peiris said it is important that the tooth relic is taken in a casket on the back of an elephant in a perahera. “After the perahera these temple elephants are used for hard labour and safaris. They are used to carry logs and taken in the hot sun for safaris. The cruelty imposed on these two babies is a shame to all Buddhists and Buddhism. Inflicting cruelty and taming an elephant to be taken in a perahera is not acceptable in Buddhism,” Peiris said.