THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: 'Gods in Shackles', an award-winning documentary directed by Canada-based Sangita Iyer, was screened in the Kerala State Assembly, on the suggestion of Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan. A brilliant depiction of the abuse the mammoths are put through in the name of Kerala festivals, the movie features some of the best-known elephants in Kerala and outside, who are also either blind, bruised or tortured by their mahouts.
A Keralite by origin, Iyer said, "I was in Kerala for my dad's first death anniversary when I came across the elephants that were being abused for temple festivals. It's shocking to see how people get so lost in excitement and revelry that they just don't see the bleeding wounded elephants in front of them. How can they miss it?" Official figures show the region has witnessed 11 deaths of captive elephants already in 2016, in comparison to 11 such deaths last year.
Left legislator, AN Shamseer said, "This cruelty needs to end in Kerala. I am going to bring this issue up during the Assembly session and I need everyone's support on this issue." VT Balram, of UDF said, "This is not about UDF or LDF. This is an issue that has to be resolved slowly by getting more and more people involved. It's time now to take a bold step."
