Many people are now using the incident to propagate anti-Muslim hate. It started with a comment by BJP MP Maneka Gandhi.

The tragic death of a pregnant wild elephant in Kerala’s Silent Valley Forest has taken a communal turn after a former Union minister and right-wing trolls used the incident to stoke Islamophobia.

While the elephant died on May 27, after days of excruciating pain, the incident only gained attention this week after a forest official’s emotional Facebook post went viral.  

Initially, news reports indicated that the elephant was deliberately fed a pineapple filled with crackers, which exploded in her mouth. However, this was later contradicted by forest officials, who said that she may have eaten food that was set as a trap by farmers to prevent wild boars from destroying crops. Kerala Forest Department@ForestKeralaReplying to @ForestKerala

There’s no conclusive evidence that injury to lower jaw was caused by pineapple stuffed wd cracker. However this may be a possibility. Dept. has booked offence against unknown offenders, whose identity is being established.805Twitter Ads info and privacy485 people are talking about this

In a bid to relieve the pain and stave off flies, the elephant immersed herself in the Velliyar river, where she died despite efforts to bring her to land for treatment. The Malayala Manorama newspaper reported that she died after water entered her lungs. The post-mortem report revealed that the elephant was pregnant.

The incident, which was reported from the fringe areas of the Silent Valley in Attappadi, Palakkad, understandably provoked widespread outrage within the state and outside. Several celebrities—including Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and industrialist Ratan Tata—politicians and animal welfare organisations posted about the incident and called for the government to take action. The state government has announced a probe into the incident.

However, Twitter user @Ra_shmi_Tweets noted on Wednesday that large numbers of people had begun to copy and post Kohli’s tweet. A search on the platform showed hundreds of tweets with the same text.Aaron @ROALY

Thanks @Ra_shmi_Tweets for the tip.
IT Cell or some shit is coordinating and mass posting this. To outrage is fine. Empathy is humanity. But in Indian Twitter, for some, even grief is manufactured.
Search in twitter and see.
“Appalled to hear about what happened in Kerala” https://twitter.com/Ra_shmi_Tweets/status/1268198607150215168 …

View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter
View image on Twitter

Rashmi#Witness#NoToCAB_NRC@Ra_shmi_TweetsPlease search:

“Appalled to hear about what happened in Kerala” in twitter..

It’s just a coordinated attack..
145Twitter Ads info and privacy112 people are talking about this

On Thursday, BJP workers and supporters were trending #KeralaElephantMurder on Twitter.

This came just a day after BJP leader and former Union minister Maneka Gandhi, an animal rights activist, made several wild accusations about the people of Malappuram without substantiating them with evidence. Malappuram is a Muslim-majority district bordering Palakkad.

She said: “It’s murder. Malappuram is famous for such incidents, it’s India’s most violent district. For instance, they throw poison on roads so that 300-400 birds & dogs die at one time.”

Gandhi also claimed “an elephant is killed every 3 days in Kerala” and said Rahul Gandhi should have taken action since he is “from that area”. Rahul is an MP from Wayanad, which is one of the four districts that border Malappuram.

Livemint journalist Nidheesh MK pointed out that Gandhi’s claims were false, as her calculations would imply that over 100 elephants were killed in just Kerala every year. 

According to government figures from a reply to Parliament in 2019, the mean number of elephant deaths per year in India was 56.6, The Hindu reported in February 2019. According to the last Elephant Census conducted by the government, 75 elephants died in 2018, far less than Gandhi’s claims. 

While Gandhi also accused the Kerala government of taking no action, the state government had announced on Wednesday that a wildlife crime investigation team would probe the killing and and the police had been directed to take stringent action against those responsible for the act.

The NewsMinute editor-in-chief Dhanya Rajendran reported that the incident had not taken place in Malappuram, but in Kottopadam panchayat in Mannarkad in Palakkad district.Dhanya Rajendran@dhanyarajendranReplying to @dhanyarajendran

I spoke to Panchayat President who went to the river and saw the injured elephant. A few days before it was found in the river, the injured elephant was spotted in the same panchayat. The place is on the border of Malappuram and Palakkad. (is the only Malappuram connection)490Twitter Ads info and privacy96 people are talking about this

As more and more people pointed this out on social media, Palakkad trended on Twitter.

But BJP leaders, including Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Smriti Irani, had already jumped in to express outrage over the tragic incident.

Javadekar said on Wednesday the Centre had sought a complete report on the incident. 

The next day he took it up to a notch to say: “We will not leave any stone unturned to investigate properly and nab the culprit(s). This is not an Indian culture to feed fire crackers and kill.”

Meanwhile Union minister Smriti Irani appeared on Republic TV and Times Now to comment on the case. On Times Now, she said “I think what needs to be ascertain is if this a trend, one needs to break that chain right away. And if this a trend specific to that particular area then it should have been concern that some kind of solution was brought forth by the state government.”

Twitter user Vivek Nambiar posted a thread on how the narrative on animal cruelty was being communalised. V@ivivek_nambiar

Honestly, the way they change the narrative is scary.

It operates systematically, with players from different areas doing their bit.

National icons/influencers + TV channels + news wires + fake-news peddlers + Sanghi heavyweight troll accounts + IT cell dimwits.1,771Twitter Ads info and privacy1,005 people are talking about this

Many were using the incident to propagate anti-Muslim hate and vilify the community.|| धर्म 1st || Established in Yoga, ARISE O Bhārat@iamviryavaan

Malappuram is dominated by Muslims. This seems to have been a deliberately executed crime of utmost heartless sadism because to Hindus the elephant is a revered animal. https://twitter.com/shri_v/status/1267872359043567622 …Shrivathsa. B@shri_vMalappuram – Poor pregnant elephant trusted rAkShasas dressed as humans. Didn’t harm a fly!
rAkShasas gave her pineapple stuffed with crackers! Her mouth was destroyed. She committed suicide standing in a river.
I am trembling with rage. No creature deserves to die this way. https://twitter.com/ind_psc/status/1267831419528601602 …
18Twitter Ads info and privacy21 people are talking about this

Pakistani-Canadian writer Tarak Fateh, who Scrollpointed out frequently  circulates misinformation targeting Indian Muslims, also jumped into the fray.

As polarisation of the incident continued, Malayalam writer KR Meera wrote:K.R.Meera@krmeera1

Unfortunately, it is in temples and festivals that elephants suffer most in Kerala. Of 521 captive elephants only around 68 is captured in Kerala. 20 – 22 die every year due to constipation, foot abscess and malnutrition. Those alive have septic feet and sores on backs & hips.31Twitter Ads info and privacy15 people are talking about this

Nidheesh reported in Livemint that the elephant’s death was a symptom of Kerala’s larger problem with encroachment and shrinking of natural habitats for the state’s wildlife.

On Wednesday, a top forest officer told PTI that another female elephant had died in a similar incident in April in Pathanapuram forest range area under Punalur division in Kollam district.

“It was very weak. When the forest officials approached, the elephant ran into the forest and joined the herd of elephants waiting there. But the next day, the elephant was again found alienated from its herd. Proper treatment was given but unfortunately it succumbed to its wounds,” he said.

While there is no doubt that elephants are often mistreated in Kerala—there are multiple reports on the abuse of captive elephants in the state—twisting the facts of a case to aid Islamophobia is a dangerous move. 

UPDATE: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan responds.Pinarayi Vijayan@vijayanpinarayi

In a tragic incident in Palakkad dist, a pregnant elephant has lost its life. Many of you have reached out to us. We want to assure you that your concerns will not go in vain. Justice will prevail.11.4KTwitter Ads info and privacy2,958 people are talking about thisPinarayi Vijayan@vijayanpinarayiReplying to @vijayanpinarayi

An investigation is underway, focusing on three suspects. The police and forest departments will jointly investigate the incident. The district police chief and the district forest officer visited the site today. We will do everything possible to bring the culprits to justice.1,889Twitter Ads info and privacy387 people are talking about thisPinarayi Vijayan@vijayanpinarayiReplying to @vijayanpinarayi

We will also try to address the causes behind the increased incidences of Human-wildlife conflict. Climate change could be adversely affecting both the local communities & animals.1,789Twitter Ads info and privacy355 people are talking about thisPinarayi Vijayan@vijayanpinarayiReplying to @vijayanpinarayi

Having said that, we are saddened by the fact some have used this tragedy to unleash a hate campaign. Lies built upon inaccurate descriptions and half truths were employed to obliterate the truth. Some even tried to import bigotry into the narrative. Wrong priorities.4,356Twitter Ads info and privacy1,263 people are talking about thisPinarayi Vijayan@vijayanpinarayiReplying to @vijayanpinarayi

Kerala is a society that respects the outrage against injustice. If there is any silver lining in this, it is that we now know that we can make our voices heard against injustice. Let us be that people who fight injustice in all its forms; everytime, everywhere.4,234Twitter Ads info and privacy980 people are talking about this

courtesy HuffPost