Agali: “Bhagawane Paakkaku Pokanam’’ (We want to meet our God), said a group of Adivasis who reached before Mannarkkad Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) VP Jayapraksh. Though he was surprised to hear their request, he understood it later. The DFO promised them that he would arrange a meeting with their Bhagawan as soon as possible.
The Adivasis wished to meet the wild elephant which was captured with the help of Kumki elephants (trained elephants) from Attapadi on May 30. They approached DFO to meet this elephant as they keep an emotional attachment with animals.
They consider elephants as equal to God. So they address them as ‘Bhagawan’ or ‘Swami’.
If elephant destroys their crops, they consider it as a heavenly act. They believe that if elephant eats their crops, the harvest in their land would be double the next year.
The elephant that was taken as captive was their God. The forest officials recollected how many Adivasis cried out when the officials captured the elephant. Realizing their relation with the captive elephant, the DFO gave an opportunity to the Adivasis to meet their `God'. At present, the elephant is at Kodanadu Abhayaranyam, a nature appreciation centre set up by State Forest Department at Kodanad in Ernakulam.
Mannarkkad DFO contacted Kodanad Assistant Forest Conservative to arrange a meeting of Adivasis with the elephant. The Adivasis will go to Kodanadu on November 7. A team of officials led by Mannarkkad division Forest Protection Committee Coordinator P Mohanakrishnan will accompany the tribal people. Forest Department will sponsor their trip to Kodanadu.
A different name is also given for their trip. It is ‘Bhagavane Pakkaku Poka Pokku’ (A journey to meet God)
