Guwahati: A video showing a herd of wild elephants struggling to cross a road due to barricades has caused public outrage in Assam’s Golaghat district.
The barricades were reportedly erected for a public rally by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, scheduled for September 14, 2025, in Numaligarh.
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The video surfaced on social media shows the elephant herd trying to navigate a narrow path blocked on both sides by bamboo barricades and fencing. After some struggle, the elephants eventually broke through the barriers and crossed the road, a sight that has infuriated wildlife conservationists.
Local sources confirmed that the barricades were installed as a security measure on a road the Prime Minister’s convoy is expected to use to reach the rally venue.
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This move has been widely condemned as irresponsible and insensitive to wildlife, particularly since the area is a known elephant corridor.
Wildlife conservationist Rohit Choudhury shared the video, calling the act a “mockery of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.”
He questioned the necessity of “harassing elephants to facilitate a public rally,” also referencing a past statement by the Prime Minister in which he said, “While animals cannot speak, humans can understand their feelings and gestures.”
This incident is not the first time that elephant movement has been affected in the area.
The Supreme Court had previously ordered the demolition of a wall constructed by Numaligarh Refinery in the same area that was obstructing the movement of animals.
Wildlife activists, requesting anonymity, expressed their frustration, stating, “This is sheer irresponsibility of the administration. Do the officers who ordered this have no brain, or are they so insensitive to wild animals?”