Assam elephant Joymala back in chains, claims newly released Peta video

Animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India found Assam’s Jeymalyatha (Joymala) back in chains after Tamil Nadu authorities claimed that she was “absolutely doing good”.

Earlier in September this year, the Tamil Nadu Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department claimed that beaten and abused elephant Jeymalyatha (Joymala) is now “absolutely doing good” and showed her living unchained and with access to a pool.

However, PETA India investigated the matter and they found an entirely different picture and shared a video of their investigation. 

As per the video shared by PETA India, it is quite evident that the ‘fake claims made by the Tamil Nadu authorities were screaming out loud as Joymala was found bound in chains. 

“Joymala is chained and trapped in concrete”, mentioned PETA India in the video that they shared on YouTube.

Speaking exclusively to India TodayNE over the matter, Assam’s Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), MK Yadava said, “The matter is at the court and is subjudice. I haven’t come across any video now. For everything regarding this case we will have to speak at the court”.

It is worth noting that following the release of the PETA video showing the abuse of Joymala in September, a major ruckus blew up, wherein, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma intervened and formed a four-member team who then reached the temple premises in Tamil Nadu where the jumbo was kept captive.

"Here she is being beaten at the holy shrine of Krishnan Kovil. In 2021 she was tied to a tree and beaten mercilessly," PETA mentioned in the video.
  
However, the Tamil Nadu government denied the claims, calling the video a fake and according to them, Joymala was doing "absolutely well".

Joymala, the elephant, who was in the headlines recently for facing torture at the hands of the mahouts in a temple complex in Tamil Nadu, was decided to be brought back to her place of origin - Assam.

In an investigative and exclusive report by India Today NE, it was found that nearly 1,000 elephants from Assam are being held captive in various states of India, mostly in the southern states. And most of these are facing torture and ill-treatment by their handlers. 

The issue first came to light on August 27, when the PETA released a video on Twitter showing Joymala, an elephant, being tortured by her mahouts inside a temple complex in Tamil Nadu. 

The heart-wrenching video of Joymala being tortured at the hands of her mahouts clubbed with the exclusive report by India Today NE, triggered a string of reactions from all quarters. 

Miffed over the incident, Bollywood actors Raveena Tandon and Adil Hussain had each individually posted about Joymala, requesting the government as well as the authorities to quickly rescue the jumbo and provide her all the necessary care and treatment she needs.

The temple had reportedly kept Joymala in captivity illegally for more than a decade, as she was never returned to the Assam Forest department after the lease for six months had expired. 

One of the top Assam Forest officials while speaking to India TodayNE said that lease agreements are made mentioning transfer of care of the elephant and not change of ownership.

A decade ago, Joymala, the elephant from Assam, was gifted to the Srivilliputhur temple in Tamil Nadu’s Virudhunagar district. 

The 18-year-old female elephant is still owned by one Girin Moran from Assam.