On Independence Day, a pregnant elephant died in Jhargram, West Bengal, after a burning iron spear was thrown at her during an attempt to drive a herd away.
The herd, which included three elephants and two calves, had taken refuge on abandoned government land. As a crowd gathered, the state forest department enlisted the help of the “Hula party,” a team of villagers armed with small spears with lit tips, to drive the elephants away.
Following the death of a pregnant elephant on August 15, the state forest department has filed a police complaint and vowed to take “strict action.” It remains “unclear” whether the spear was thrown by members of the Hula party or local residents in the incident near Jhargram Raj College in Paschim Medinipur, West Midnapore district.
When the spear hit the elephant, it became lodged in its back, causing the animal to writhe in pain and collapse. The elephant was tranquilized and transported by officials, but it later died. A postmortem examination confirmed that the elephant was pregnant.
Speaking with The Indian Express, Birbaha Hansda, the West Bengal forest minister, said, “It is a heart-wrenching incident. We consider elephants as part of our family. I am personally very sad. Those who have done this will be arrested soon.”
Hansda said she has already met with officials to discuss the incident.“Whenever there is a drive to move elephants from an urban or semi-urban area, thousands of local people gather. We have decided to take action against any such person who enters within 500 metres of a spot where a drive is going on,” she said.
Meanwhile, Rajesh Mahato, state president of Kurmi Samaj West Bengal, told The Indian Express by phone from Jhargram that the state forest department is “responsible” for the elephant’s death. He described the incident as tragic and slammed the department for employing “untrained youths” from the Hula party to drive away elephants. Mahato noted that no arrests had been made.
Residents of Jhargram, including members of the Kurmi Samaj, protested against the department, accusing it of mishandling the situation. In their rallies, the Kurmi Samaj demanded the resignation of the forest minister.