TEDx Talk By PETA India Vice President of Policy, Khushboo Gupta, on How Compassion and Technology Can Transform Tradition and Save Animals
Khushboo Gupta, Vice President of Policy at PETA India, took the stage at TEDx Sharda University, Delhi NCR, to spotlight the heartbreaking reality of captive elephants in India. She described how these intelligent, sensitive beings are often chained, beaten, and coerced into performing temple rituals, parading in noisy processions, and carrying tourists for rides—acts that strip them of their dignity and natural behaviours.
Through the poignant stories of elephants Malti and Madhuri, who endured decades of forced labour and control through cruel instruments like the ankush (a hooked iron rod), Khushboo urged the audience to rethink how we treat these majestic animals. Her message was clear: elephants are not tools of tradition, but sentient beings deserving of compassion and freedom.
These stories are more than tales of suffering; they are narratives of transformation and hope. Khushboo highlighted PETA India’s innovative initiative, launched in early 2023, which introduced life-size mechanical elephants into temple rituals. Today, with the support of celebrities including – Hema Malini, Suniel Shetty, Raveena Tandon, Jackie Shroff, Parvati Nair, Priyamani, KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Swami Baba Ramdev, over twenty temples across India have received these lifelike robotic elephants from PETA India, enabling devotees to uphold tradition in a safe and animal-friendly manner.
Watch how devotees are joyfully embracing this compassionate shift in temple practices:
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Khushboo also shared the story of Ellie, Asia’s first empathy-building animatronic elephant, voiced by actor Dia Mirza. Ellie recounts her traumatic separation from her mother, years of abuse in a circus, and her eventual rescue and healing at a sanctuary. Her story, shared with students, serves as a powerful tool for building empathy and education.
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Khushboo Gupta’s TEDx talk is a compelling call to action. It challenges us to move beyond tradition when it comes at the cost of cruelty and to embrace innovation that honours both culture and compassion. Through mechanical elephants and storytelling, PETA India is not just changing rituals—it’s changing hearts. As more temples adopt these humane alternatives, the vision of a kinder, elephant-friendly India is no longer a dream, but a growing reality.
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