Shivamogga Dasara: Did MLA instruct officers to change order of elephants?

Somanna, the elephant that carried the howdah.

The scary scenes during the Dasara celebrations in Shivamogga on Thursday, October 22, were allegedly triggered by a last-minute change in the order of the elephants in the procession.

Forest officials and mahouts had resolved that Sagar, the tusker that carried the howdah in previous years, would lead the group of three elephants.

Somanna, the elephant chosen to carry the howdah this time, was participating in the procession for the first time and had hardly been exposed to crowds.

However, after the procession had covered about 500 metres, the order was changed. Somanna was brought to the front, suddenly exposing it to the crowd, while the other two elephants were left behind. Within a short distance, it lost its composure and turned back.

Deputy Conservator of Forests Prasanna Krishna Patagar, speaking to a news portal over the phone, said the order of the elephants was changed on the instructions of an MLA.

A video clip of the procession also shows the MLA speaking to the DCF, after which the order was altered within minutes.

However, at a press meet, Minister Madhu Bangarappa maintained that in previous years too, the elephant carrying the howdah had led the group, and the same practice was followed this year.

He said he was not aware whether the order was changed at the MLA’s instructions.

Chief Conservator of Forests of the Shivamogga Circle K.T. Hanumanthappa, who submitted a preliminary report on the incidents to the PCCF (Wildlife), has recorded the sequence of events.

In his report, he concluded that the elephant, Somanna, slowed down, turned back and looked at its two mates, and for some strange reason it got frightened and ran in panic. However, he did not attribute any reason for the development.