Close to 2,000 farmers, under the aegis of the Vadakkanad Grama Samrakshana Samiti, a forum of farmers at Vadakkanad village, near Sulthan Bathery in the district, took out a march and launched an indefinite hunger strike in front of the office of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary on Saturday seeking protection from wild animal attacks.
The farmers said that they were leading a wretched life as there was no security for their lives, especially for those who live on the fringes of forest, from wildlife attack.
Moreover, the human-wildlife conflict was accelerating day by day owing to the dearth of fodder in the forest, a sharp decline in natural forest and an increase in wildlife population, they said.
They raised demands such as a permanent solution to prevent wildlife attacks, protection to the lives and property of the public from wildlife attack, stone walls with solar fencing on the fringes of the forest to divide wildlife habitat and human settlements; increase in solatium to ₹50 lakh to the kin of victims of wildlife attack, and free medical aid and a financial assistance of ₹ 1 lakh to persons injured in wildlife attacks.
