We did not give the names, maybe they were originally given by Tripura zoo… VHP doing dirty politics: State minister
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) has filed a petition with the Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court in the Jalpaiguri district, expressing objection to a lioness being named after Goddess Sita and a male lion named after the Mughal emperor Akbar at the North Bengal Wild Animals Park in Siliguri.
As per reports, these two prominent felines were transferred to the Siliguri zoo from Tripura’s Sepahijala Zoo, along with eight other animals, as part of an animal exchange program on February 12.
In the writ petition submitted on Friday, the VHP argues that assigning such names to the feline duo is “irrational,” “illogical,” and amounts to “blasphemy.”
The court hearing for this case is slated for February 20, to be presided over by Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya.
As outlined in the VHP’s petition, “On February 8, 2024, Sepahijala Zoological Park transferred a male lion and a lioness, along with eight other animals, to the North Bengal Wildlife Animals Park in Siliguri for the designated animal exchange program… The Bengal Safari Park has designated the female lion as ‘Sita.’ The usage of the name ‘Sita’ for a lioness is considered an affront to the religious sentiments of Sanatan Dharma, as per the petitioner’s claim.”
The petition further asserts, “The act of naming a feline family, particularly designating a lioness with the name of a religious deity such as Sita, is devoid of rationality and logic. The petitioners find this audacious nomenclature not only irrational but also a source of profound offense to their religious sentiments. The petitioner contends that naming animals after religious deities is highly sacrilegious and amounts to blasphemy.”
According to the VHP, their representatives engaged with state forest officials on multiple occasions and even staged protests against the chosen names. Dulal Chandra Roy, the VHP’s Jalpaiguri unit chief, expressed dissatisfaction, stating, “They have named a lioness as Sita and the lion as Akbar. How can this be? Does this not hurt our religious sentiments? We approached various offices within the forest department, but our concerns were not addressed, compelling us to seek legal intervention.”
“In response to the urgent nature of the situation, the VHP has filed a writ petition, urging the court to promptly address the issue, including the immediate alteration of the lioness’s name to a non-religious one. The petition also calls for a directive to authorities to refrain from using religious names for animals in zoological parks. VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal emphasized in a press statement, ‘We seek justice and respect for religious sentiments, and stern action against all those involved in such naming of the species.’
Vinod Bansal further explained the course of action, stating, ‘The VHP initially communicated its concerns to state authorities. Subsequently, we filed the petition before the Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench in Jalpaiguri. We believe that naming animals after Hindu gods and goddesses has caused distress to religious feelings and sentiments. The matter was brought to the court’s attention on February 16 and is scheduled for a hearing on February 20,’ as conveyed by advocate Subhankar Dutta, representing the VHP, in a phone conversation with the newspaper from Siliguri.
“In response to the allegations, West Bengal forest minister and TMC MLA Birbaha Hansda defended the naming decision, asserting that the animals were given names by Tripura zoo. She criticized the VHP, accusing them of engaging in ‘dirty politics’ and clarified, ‘We didn’t name the animals which came to us from Tripura Zoo. It is absolutely wrong to say that we have given the names. It is our Chief Minister who will formally give names to the animals. The animals came from a zoo in Tripura, and maybe they have been given some names there.”
Akbar, at the age of seven years and eight months, and Sita, aged five years and six months, are currently housed in separate enclosures, as indicated by officials. Plans are underway to eventually showcase the pair together in a dedicated display area within the 20-hectare space allocated for the big cats in the expansive 297-hectare North Bengal Wildlife Animals Park.
The transfer of this lion pair was part of an animal exchange program, orchestrated by the Sepahijala Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary in Tripura. As part of the exchange, four black bucks, two lions (Akbar and Sita), two spectacled monkeys, and two leopard cats were sent to the North Bengal Wildlife Park. In return, two tigers, golden pheasants, silver pheasants, and Hill Maynas were received by the Sepahijala Zoo.
An official from the Sepahijala Zoo emphasized, “We had sent a lion and a lioness named Ram and Sita, respectively, from Sepahijala. We are not aware of what happened at the destination.” The official clarified that in the records of zoos and sanctuaries across the country, animals are identified by a code, which is the sole authentic identification for them. The official records from Tripura indicate that the lions sent were named Ram and Sita, accompanied by their respective identification codes.
This year marks a significant development for the Sepahijala Zoo and Wildlife Sanctuary in Tripura as it initiated an animal exchange program for the first time in the last 10 years. As the oldest and largest zoo and sanctuary in Tripura, this exchange program reflects a notable step in the institution’s engagement in collaborative efforts for the benefit of diverse wildlife populations.
