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Madras HC: States Can't Block Temple Elephant Donations
7 Sep
Summary
- Madras High Court ruled states cannot prevent animal donations to temples.
- The court ordered a decision within one week on elephant import permissions.
- Four Tamil Nadu temples await permission to receive donated elephants.
The Madras High Court has asserted that the Tamil Nadu forest department lacks the authority to prohibit donations of animals, especially elephants, to temples within the state. Acknowledging that current wildlife protection laws permit such acquisitions, the court has directed the state government to expedite decisions on these matters. Specifically, the court has mandated that a decision be made within one week regarding permission for elephants being donated from Assam to four temples.
These temples include the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple, Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai, Kancheepuram mutt, and Vaitheeswaran Temple in Mayiladuthurai, and Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameswaram. While permission for one elephant named Durga to reach the Madurai Meenakshi Amman Temple has been granted, the petitioner highlighted delays in approvals for four other elephants. The court's intervention comes as festival season has commenced, underscoring the urgency of the matter.
