A.H. Vishwanath, MLC, has said the purpose of Gajapayana will not be served if elephants are brought in trucks to Mysuru. They should be made to walk to Mysuru to recreate the tradition and set the ball rolling for the festivities, he felt.
Mr. Vishwanath’s suggestion led to a debate at the meeting of the Dasara Executive Committee here on Saturday. The MLC was not convinced on the reasons cited by the Minister in charge of Mysuru S.. Somashekar and DCF V. Karikalan on why the elephants are brought in trucks to Mysuru and not by foot.
If at all elephants are made to walk, it should be on natural surface as per the guidelines. It is not advisable to make them walk on the asphalt roads. Moreover, safety reasons also need to be looked into. There are clear guidelines on the maintenance of privately-owned elephants from the State government..
However, the Minister said he would discuss the matter with the Forest Minister.
