How Did Joymoni The Elephant Get Caught In The Partition Between India And Pakistan?

The Partition of undivided India was a pivotal event in South Asian history, with its repercussions felt for generations. It altered the political landscape of Asia, creating an intense relationship between the newly formed nations of India and Pakistan.

During this division, assets were split between the two countries. Everything from finances to defence personnel and even government office furniture was divided. Amidst this process, an unusual issue arose involving an elephant named Joymoni.

Partition and the Settlement of an Elephant

Assets weren't limited to humans and objects; animals were also included. According to Anwesha Sengupta's research paper 'Breaking up: Dividing assets between India and Pakistan in times of Partition,’ Joymoni, an elephant belonging to Bengal's Forest Department, became part of this division. The elephant's value was equated to that of a station wagon.

Initially, it was decided that Joymoni would go to East Bengal (later Bangladesh), while West Bengal would receive a vehicle in exchange. However, complications arose as Joymoni was in Malda, West Bengal during the Partition.

The first issue was that Joymoni's mahout and attendant chose to remain in India. Consequently, East Bengal had to send their own mahout, attendant, and forest guard to retrieve the elephant.

Logistical Challenges

When the East Bengal team arrived in June 1948 to collect Joymoni, another problem surfaced regarding maintenance costs. The collector argued that East Bengal should pay for Joymoni’s upkeep from August 15, 1947, to June 1948 since the elephant was their property.

East Bengal countered that since Malda had used the elephant during that period, they should bear the expenses. This disagreement led to diplomatic officers getting involved to resolve the issue at higher bureaucratic levels.

Although there is no record of Joymoni's final fate, it highlights how even animals were entangled in the complexities of Partition. The incident underscores the intricate challenges faced during this historic division.

The story of Joymoni exemplifies how deeply Partition affected every aspect of life, extending beyond human lives and material possessions to include animals as well.