Fw: INDIAN GOVT RESPONDS TO GLOBAL APPEAL FOR ELEPHANT VEDA

[Guest guest]

Suparna Ganguly

04/24/05 23:56:57

aapn

INDIAN GOVT RESPONDS TO GLOBAL APPEAL FOR ELEPHANT VEDA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jumbo won't take the jet

 

Neha Mehta/ New Delhi

 

 

In what is being seen as a jumbo victory for Bangalore's animal activists,

Lord Ganesha has showered his benediction on Veda, a 6-year-old baby

elephant at the Bannerghatta Biological Park in Karnataka. Close on the

heels of a puja conducted for Veda in Bangalore, Prime Minister Manmohan

Singh has decided that she would not be sent as a diplomatic gift to Armenia

later this month, as had earlier been planned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The information was obtained exclusively by The Pioneer following months of

speculation and protests over Veda's fate. On March 17, the Prime Minister

had chaired the National Board for Wildlife and announced the Government's

ban on any gift of animals by the Head of State or Government to their

foreign counterparts - or even zoos. However, till late last evening, there

was no clarity about whether or not Veda will be the beneficiary of the ban,

since the decision to transport her was taken last year.

 

 

 

A senior Government official said on the condition of anonymity, " This is a

victory for animal rights activists who have lobbied for Veda in the past

few months. The Ministry of External Affairs will be communicating the

decision to Armenia through diplomatic channels shortly. "

 

 

 

Welcoming the Prime Minister's decision to cancel Veda's transfer, Ms Maneka

Gandhi, MP and founder member of People for Animals (PFA) said: " I am

delighted with the Prime Minister's decision. In future, we should make sure

that we do not send our animals outside and also don't get animals from

abroad into our country - because they all die. "

 

 

 

Veda's fate had been uncertain since December 2004, when she was to be

dispatched to the Yerevan Zoo in Armenia as a courtesy gift, following

Armenian President Robert Kocharian's request for a female elephant in 1999

from then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Mr Kocharian had reportedly

presented drawings of Armenian children depicting their dream to see a

companion for male elephant Grandik, that is housed in the Yerevan Zoo to Mr

Vajpayee.

 

 

 

Born in Bannerghatta Biological Park, Veda lives in a herd of seven with her

mother and grandmother and is adept at playing big sister to her younger

siblings. With her adorable antics, the jumbo-baby managed to charm her way

into the hearts of animal lovers worldwide, who joined in the protest

against her transfer. The movement against her journey to Armenia will be

remembered for the groundswell of interest on her welfare.

 

 

 

Says an ecstatic Suparna Baksi-Ganguly, Vice-President of Compassion

Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), the NGO that spearheaded the movement in

Bangalore, " Veda's welfare became an important issue for people in Bangalore

then Delhi, and went on to become an international matter with NGOs like

Born Free supporting her. " Various Ministries and officials dealing with

Veda's transfer were deluged with mails. Signature campaigns were organised

by PFA and Veda's supporters even invoked Lord Ganesha at the famous Sri

Vinayaka Temple in Bangalore.

 

 

 

Apprehensions of animal rights activists stemmed from the fact that recent

studies on the Yerevan Zoo revealed that it was ill-equipped to deal with

proper housing, grazing, wallowing, enrichment and space. The sub-zero

temperatures prevalent in Armenia for 4-6 months would have forced Veda into

confinement in an electrically heated cage, with no opportunity to walk or

exercise. The resultant psychological and physiological deprivations could

have been life-threatening.

 

 

 

Moreover, Yerevan Zoo holds an abysmal track record of dealing with

elephants. In the early 1970s, one elephant had been shot after it escaped

from its enclosure. Two decades later, another elephant that was reported to

be suffering from malnutrition and hypothermia, died after slipping on ice.

Grandik, the elephant currently housed there, has been living in solitary

confinement ever since it was obtained from Russia in 1999, something that

experts warn is extremely deleterious for the herd animal.

 

 

 

Activists had even pointed out that Veda's transfer was not legally

permissible and that it had been agreed upon without proper inspection of

Yerevan's facilities. Adding to their mounting anger was the cussedness of

certain Government officials who advocated the diplomatic exchange and

either refused to concede that two elephants had died in Yerevan in the past

or said that " such things happen in zoos. "

 

 

 

But from now, Veda can continue with her jumbo games unabated with her herd

at Bannerghatta. After all, she has an elephantine army supporting her.

 

Sunday, April 24, 2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

 It is very good News.We Must Thank Dr.Manmohan Singh,Indian Prime Minister for

his wise decision.

I must also like to thank all the animal Welfare groups who have united to

appeal to concerned authorities to cancel the Move.

regards,

Dr.Sandeep K.Jain

People For Animals Ludhiana

 

 

On Tue, 26 Apr 2005 Suparna Ganguly wrote :

>

>

> Suparna Ganguly

>04/24/05 23:56:57

>aapn

>INDIAN GOVT RESPONDS TO GLOBAL APPEAL FOR ELEPHANT VEDA

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>Jumbo won't take the jet

>

>Neha Mehta/ New Delhi

>

>

>In what is being seen as a jumbo victory for Bangalore's animal activists,

>Lord Ganesha has showered his benediction on Veda, a 6-year-old baby

>elephant at the Bannerghatta Biological Park in Karnataka. Close on the

>heels of a puja conducted for Veda in Bangalore, Prime Minister Manmohan

>Singh has decided that she would not be sent as a diplomatic gift to Armenia

>later this month, as had earlier been planned.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>The information was obtained exclusively by The Pioneer following months of

>speculation and protests over Veda's fate. On March 17, the Prime Minister

>had chaired the National Board for Wildlife and announced the Government's

>ban on any gift of animals by the Head of State or Government to their

>foreign counterparts - or even zoos. However, till late last evening, there

>was no clarity about whether or not Veda will be the beneficiary of the ban,

>since the decision to transport her was taken last year.

>

>

>

>A senior Government official said on the condition of anonymity, " This is a

>victory for animal rights activists who have lobbied for Veda in the past

>few months. The Ministry of External Affairs will be communicating the

>decision to Armenia through diplomatic channels shortly. "

>

>

>

>Welcoming the Prime Minister's decision to cancel Veda's transfer, Ms Maneka

>Gandhi, MP and founder member of People for Animals (PFA) said: " I am

>delighted with the Prime Minister's decision. In future, we should make sure

>that we do not send our animals outside and also don't get animals from

>abroad into our country - because they all die. "

>

>

>

>Veda's fate had been uncertain since December 2004, when she was to be

>dispatched to the Yerevan Zoo in Armenia as a courtesy gift, following

>Armenian President Robert Kocharian's request for a female elephant in 1999

> from then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Mr Kocharian had reportedly

>presented drawings of Armenian children depicting their dream to see a

>companion for male elephant Grandik, that is housed in the Yerevan Zoo to Mr

>Vajpayee.

>

>

>

>Born in Bannerghatta Biological Park, Veda lives in a herd of seven with her

>mother and grandmother and is adept at playing big sister to her younger

>siblings. With her adorable antics, the jumbo-baby managed to charm her way

>into the hearts of animal lovers worldwide, who joined in the protest

>against her transfer. The movement against her journey to Armenia will be

>remembered for the groundswell of interest on her welfare.

>

>

>

>Says an ecstatic Suparna Baksi-Ganguly, Vice-President of Compassion

>Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), the NGO that spearheaded the movement in

>Bangalore, " Veda's welfare became an important issue for people in Bangalore

> then Delhi, and went on to become an international matter with NGOs like

>Born Free supporting her. " Various Ministries and officials dealing with

>Veda's transfer were deluged with mails. Signature campaigns were organised

>by PFA and Veda's supporters even invoked Lord Ganesha at the famous Sri

>Vinayaka Temple in Bangalore.

>

>

>

>Apprehensions of animal rights activists stemmed from the fact that recent

>studies on the Yerevan Zoo revealed that it was ill-equipped to deal with

>proper housing, grazing, wallowing, enrichment and space. The sub-zero

>temperatures prevalent in Armenia for 4-6 months would have forced Veda into

>confinement in an electrically heated cage, with no opportunity to walk or

>exercise. The resultant psychological and physiological deprivations could

>have been life-threatening.

>

>

>

>Moreover, Yerevan Zoo holds an abysmal track record of dealing with

>elephants. In the early 1970s, one elephant had been shot after it escaped

> from its enclosure. Two decades later, another elephant that was reported to

>be suffering from malnutrition and hypothermia, died after slipping on ice.

>Grandik, the elephant currently housed there, has been living in solitary

>confinement ever since it was obtained from Russia in 1999, something that

>experts warn is extremely deleterious for the herd animal.

>

>

>

>Activists had even pointed out that Veda's transfer was not legally

>permissible and that it had been agreed upon without proper inspection of

>Yerevan's facilities. Adding to their mounting anger was the cussedness of

>certain Government officials who advocated the diplomatic exchange and

>either refused to concede that two elephants had died in Yerevan in the past

>or said that " such things happen in zoos. "

>

>

>

>But from now, Veda can continue with her jumbo games unabated with her herd

>at Bannerghatta. After all, she has an elephantine army supporting her.

>

>Sunday, April 24, 2005

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>