Freedom can mean different things to different beings. Textbooks and encyclopedias have majorly taught us about the world, its heroes, villains, charters and peace treaties. This story is nothing you may have heard before. It has no hero, no chronological dates and no battlefield, especially because there is simply no record that agrees of its occurrence and still not a charter that promises it will not happen again.
Lakhi is one of India’s most loved and unforgettable elephants who trod the Earth till a few years ago. Her story will trouble your soul, make you question the very existence of humanity and even smile with forgiveness. It will open doors of horror and speak of a freedom struggle that she gave up right in her childhood.
Phajaan or elephant crushing is a cruel practice of breaking the spirit of an animal, especially when it is still young. The calf is snatched from the herd, from its mother. It is made to witness their slaughter to terrify its very spirit. Young elephants are then shoved into extremely small wooden cages, with no space for them to move, raise their heads or swing their trunks. Their legs are tied with ropes to restrict movement and resistance. They are brutally beaten with sticks that have nails and repeatedly stabbed in their ears and feet for seven days. They are starved deliberately with no water supply to break even an iota of strength if left in their frightened minds. All this, just so the animal learns to obey the mighty human and become submissive. It is made to live a life of utter hopelessness so that it forgets what it is like to be happy. This torture comes in handy if the animal is to be used for commercial purposes like performing in circus, begging outside temples or carrying tourists on vacation spots. Unable to withstand the trauma, many elephants stand on their trunks and suffocate themselves to death, what we call suicide in human terms.
Lakhi had a similar fate, but she lived. Believed to be born in a forest, Lakhi went through unspeakable torment for years on busy city streets. She was used for begging outside temples and would be blindfolded for performances. When this was not enough, Lakhi’s master abused and blinded the innocent elephant, to earn sympathy and money from the masses. She was whipped, beaten and chained almost all of her life. Colourful garlands and fabrics would hide away her wounds, scars of torture and pain. Her owner must have made a lot of money in the 60 years of her captivity, leaving no space on her body unhurt.
When some good Samaritans and the court finally intervened, Lakhi was rescued from the streets of Pune. She was found in severely malnourished condition. There were deep wounds on her chest, forehead, ears, back with swollen parts, cracked and deformed feet, due to the spiked chains that ate her flesh. Lakhi was taken 1400 kilometres away to Wildlife SOS, Elephant Conservation and Care Centre at Mathura.
Lakhi lived here for three happy years after her rescue. She did everything that any animal in their natural habitat should be doing; jumping in the natural mud ponds, strolling with friends in the wide abyss of grasslands. She swayed her trunk in the wind, carefree for the very first time, letting out joyful trumpets. She loved lying in cool water and performing a lazy dance while rubbing her skin against tree barks! Of all the vegetables and fruits, Lakhi literally went bananas over bananas, something she now had in abundance. She received veterinary care, nutritious diet, a lot of space to walk, play and interact with other elephants. Over 60 years of age, it took her only a few days to let go of her past. She had friends, rescued and happy to be in the space they truly belonged; simply grateful for this life. She was finally experiencing happiness; the feeling of being safe.
Life rarely gives us a second chance. However, for Lakhi, it was rebirth at the conservation center that unfortunately still held traces of her past. Decades of horrendous treatment had only deteriorated her organs, till one day Lakhi lay in peace and gently closed her eyes. She lived her entire life in these three years, without a stick or chain in sight.
They say animals are forgiving by nature; they hold no grudge, no regrets. Lakhi’s story of captivity speaks volumes of wretched acts mankind can inflict on another being. It portrays a happy life, free of expectations and bonds. Lakhi showed us that it is easier to forgive than be trapped in the past. And most of all, how liberation can come as a gentle breeze after a life, full of loneliness…
-Ms. Sneha Shringare,
Senior content editor
Dassault Systemes