Buddhists should protest over ‘kidnapping’ of baby elephants

(August 09, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) I have been following the story of the “kidnapped” baby elephants of Pinnawala with a mixture of amusement and disgust: amused at the behaviour of the government, including the Executive, whose silence on the issue is deafening; disgusted at the brazen and illegal actions of a nondescript person charged with the responsibility of the High Office of the Diyawadana Nilame of Kandy.

The silence on the part of those in power is obviously due to the fact that they are responsible for permitting this act. In short, they have aided and abetted the culprits responsible for this unforgivable act.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my congratulations to the National Bikkhu Front for the stand it has taken on this issue.

Did not the custodians and prelates of the two Chapters object to an international cricket match being played in Kandy on a Poya Day? What priceless double standards!

I sincerely hope that sanity will prevail and that the peace-loving Buddhist population of this country shows their strength and ensures the government takes immediate action to return the baby elephants to Pinnawala, or transport the two mother elephants to Kandy to be with their young ones. Perhaps a reminder from the Dhammapada would help:

“The cankers only increase for those who are arrogant and heedless, who leave undone what should be done and do what should not be done.”

R. de Silva, Dehiwala

Hands off the Pinnawala elephants

The Pinnawala babies should be returned to their mothers in Pinnawala. The two elephant mothers, Shanthi and Punchi, gave birth to babies with tusks.

Covetous eyes were cast on these little babies by the Diyawadana Nilame, and with the connivance of Minister Gamini Lokuge, these little ones were subjected to the trauma of being dragged away from their grieving mothers. The temple high priests are not at fault here. They have been made the tools of politicians.

We congratulate the newspapers for highlighting this tragedy, which has been condemned by all wildlife activists. We as human mothers appeal to the government to return Raju and Sindu to Pinnawala and re-unite them with their mothers.

C. B. Perera, Colombo 4

-Sri Lanka Guardian