The elephant

What was the significance of the elephant? There were couple of scenes where we see the elephant following. Was it simply the "elephant in the room" they were addressing? Or was the elephant following him more symbolic? In certain parts of the world, elephants are often brought under their control by humans with sticks and torture. Despite being much bigger than the human, the elephant obeys the man fully without realizing its own strength. Or was the film-maker trying to convey something else