Madarihat: Elephants ruin the last rites of a deceased man

In Madarihat’s Meghnad Saha Nagar, elephants emerged from the forest, barging into a village and wreaking havoc consuming goods meant for an upcoming ‘Shradh’ (last rites) ceremony of a deceased person. Outraged, villagers retaliated by detaining forest workers. The incident unfolded adjacent to Jaldapara National Park, where one elephant, in a mere 40 minutes on Tuesday night, ravaged the Shradh materials meticulously arranged by the family members of the departed Prakash Sharma. Breaking through the wall, the elephant devoured every bit of rice, dal, flour, jaggery, and salt, leaving nothing behind. Aghast at the destruction, Prakash Sharma’s family and neighbors vehemently protested against the forest workers for their failure in refurbishing stocks meants for the Shradh. Poonam Sharma stated: “The grief of my husband Prakash Sharma’s untimely death on January 24 persists. On February 4, the Shradh ceremony was meant to bring peace to the household. However, all the Shradh materials stored in the room were consumed by the elephant.” While the foresters pledged compensation as per government rules, the family insisted on the return of all Shradh materials as listed by the priest. Navjeet De, Assistant Wildlife Warden of Jaldapara National Park, explained: “We lack the authority to increase compensation; the finance department’s approval is essential. Unfortunately, no increase in compensation has been issued by the Finance Ministry since 2014, rendering us helpless.”