Rajan Gurukkal warns of ‘unethical’ elephant spectacles

Noted social scientist Rajan Gurukkal has called for a transition to mechanical and technological alternatives to the use of captive elephants in festivals. He described the use of live elephants in festivals as both unethical and a severe threat to public safety. His caution comes just days ahead of the Thrissur Pooram and follows his recent warnings regarding the dangers of high-decibel fireworks.

According to him, the prevailing ‘pooram model’ of festival organisation has intensified a risky dependence on large numbers of elephants. He also cited a data indicating that captive elephants were responsible for as many as 196 human deaths between 2011 and 2023, with the victims often including mahouts and festival attendees.