14-05-2025
Jumbos turned violent owing to laser lights, says Paramekkavu Devaswom
THRISSUR: Though Thrissur Pooram this year concluded without any hitches, it seems the allegations didn't. Paramekkavu Devaswom, one of the factions that organises Thrissur Pooram, has come out against the use of laser torches or laser light sources in festival grounds, which they suspect was the reason behind elephants turning violent amid the parade.
Paramekkavu Devaswom secretary G Rajesh alleged that the elephant didn't attack any people, after turning violent and all it did was to run amok.
'There is some reason behind the elephant turning panic and it should be probed. We suspect that some people with vested interest focused laser light on the elephant, leading to a chaotic situation,' he said. The devaswoms urged the district administration and police to ban laser lights in festival grounds for the safety of public. Both devaswoms had raised allegations against an animal rights organisation for conspiring to focus laser lights on the eyes of paraded elephants to deliberately create issues.
In the incident during Thrissur Pooram, tusker Uttoly Raman came charging at people amid the elephant parade of Madathil Varavu ceremony of Thiruvambady Bhagavathy at midnight. The tusker didn't attack anyone. Instead it ran through a pocket road for about a kilometre. As many as 60 people were injured after they fell while trying to run away from the violent tusker.
