Self-proclaimed ‘animal activist’ named Antony Clement Rubin has been going after several temple elephants in Tamil Nadu and trying to oust them from the temples to be sent to elephant camps run by the government.
Antony has filed several cases regarding the same with the Madras High Court “to take custody of” temple elephants and keep them in elephant camps.
In the year 2019, Antony had filed three writ petitions (WP/32313/2019, WP/32149/2019, WMP/32601/2019) which are under various stages of litigation.
A few days back, the Tamil Nadu Forest Department decided to send Deivanai, the temple elephant of Tiruparankundram Subramania Swamy Temple to Assam after it killed a assistant mahout named S Kalisadan on May 24. Deivanai has a history of attacking her caretakers. She had killed a mahout in Madurai earlier this year.
It was reported that the lease period of the elephant ended in 2017.
After the Forest Department confirmed the news of Deivanai’s transfer, Antony took to his Twitter to state that 6 more elephants will hopefully be ousted from temples.
Antony had previously moved the court to shift Masini, the elephant donated by late former Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa to Samayapuram Mariamman Temple to the Teppakadu camp. He said that the elephant was in the Teppakadu camp since it was three-month-old after being abandoned by its herd and that it was sent to the temple 9 years later.
Antony along with his friend Deepak Nambiar of Elephas Maximus Indicus Trust are targeting elephants being taken care at Hindu temples and mutts claiming that they are being illegally held without proper documents and put to torture.
The Hindu Makkal Katchi has expressed concerns over the targeting of elephants present in Hindu temples and mutts by individuals and organizations who have no stake in temple matters. They have questioned the intentions of ‘Antony Clement Rubin’ in interfering in Hindu temple affairs. Hindu Makkal Katchi has also demanded that the cases be withdrawn and involve them as a stake holder in matters relating to temple elephants.
@AntonyRubin we found out you have filed a legal case to remove all elephants from TN temples.
Why are you doing it as a Christian..?
Do you have a broader agenda with your Church..?
IMK humbly request you to with draw all the cases against Hindu Temples from you please. pic.twitter.com/426vIni97j
— Indu Makkal Katchi ( Official ) (@Indumakalktchi) July 23, 2020
Earlier, Lakshmi, the elephant was displaced from her home in Manakula Vinayagar temple by PETA. She was kept in Krishi Vigyan Kendra with scanty food and water and no proper shelter. After a sustained protest led by several organizations like Hindu Makkal Katchi and BJP, Lakshmi returned to her home in Manakula Vinyagar Temple in Puducherry last week.
Prior to this, PETA was made to run helter-skelter after they tried to ban Jallikattu, a traditional sport native to Tamil Nadu. Antony too campaigned for banning Jallikattu.
