Monday 12th June, 2023

Hardly a day passes without an instance of cruelty to animals being reported in Sri Lanka, whose political leaders make a public display of their knowledge of Buddhism, and perhaps preach more Dhamma than even the members of the Maha Sangha. Despite their sanctimonious pretences, this predominantly Buddhist country seems to have become a hell on earth for poor animals, especially elephants, which undergo immense suffering at some Buddhist temples themselves and other places of worship besides invading villages due to the disappearance of their natural habitats and dying violent deaths at the hands of farmers as a result.

It is said that one of the first few things Arahant Mahinda did after arriving here to introduce Buddhism was to save a deer by distracting and stopping King Devanampityatissa, who was pursuing the terrified creature. But today many sins are committed against animals in this country; close on the heels of the exposure of the plight of an elephant, gifted by Thailand, which is said to be planning to fly the poor animal back home for treatment, and rightly so, has come a disturbing report that a she-elephant, named Lasanda, being kept at Vishnu Devale, Devinuwara, is losing sight in one eye as her ocular condition has been neglected for a long time. Will the Davale official care to respond to this very serious allegation?

It has been reported that Lasanda was donated to the Devinuwara Davale, years ago, by the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. The deplorable practice of animals being gifted or exchanged, according to the whims and fancies of government leaders or others must be ended. Rajapaksa is known to be fiercely protective of his children, and does not brook even any mild criticism of them, but he as the President had no qualms about having baby elephants snatched from their mothers at the Pinnawala elephant orphanage, even before they were weaned, and gifting them to places of worships, etc. He however is not alone in having used elephants as gifts. Many Sri Lankan leaders have earned notoriety for doing so.

A video telecast by Hiru TV shows Lasanda being taken to a polluted pond for bathing, and she is likely to contract waterborne diseases as well. Animal rights activists fear that the dirty water she is made to bathe in might worsen her eye condition. The pond has to be cleaned regularly.

Lasanda’s predicament has been another blot on Devinuwara Devale’s reputation. About five years ago, the media exposed the suffering of an elephant at the same Devale. Named Kalana, it had chain-inflicted wounds on its legs; they were badly infected because they had not been treated for a long time. Luckily, adverse media reports shook the authorities concerned awake and Kalana was taken elsewhere for treatment immediately. It defies comprehension why religious places are allowed to keep elephants, which they cannot take good care of.

One can only hope that the state institutions maintained with public funds to promote animal welfare will rise from their slumber and do their bit to ensure that Lasanda receives proper treatment, and her eye is saved. First of all, she must be removed from the Devinuwara Davale premises forthwith to a place where she receives medical attention and has access to clean water. The Devale officials, their mahouts and all others responsible for looking after the animal must be made to explain their failure to have her treated all these years, and the possibility of legal action being instituted against them should be explored. Nobody should be allowed to inflict suffering on animals in the name of religion or culture, and the need for a probe into Lasanda’s plight cannot be overemphasised.