Congress leader and Lok Sabha member from Wayanad district in Kerala, Rahul Gandhi, reportedly listened to a litany of grievances about the State Government’s alleged failure to mitigate human-wildlife conflict as he paid a whirlwind visit to families who lost their breadwinners to fatal wild animal attacks in the hilly district early on February 18.
Mr. Gandhi had taken a break from the Uttar Pradesh leg of his Nyay Yatra to visit his constituency, which had seen belligerent street protests on February 17 against the Forest Department’s alleged failure to insulate the local population from wildlife attacks.
Some parts of Wayanad were currently under curfew after the District Magistrate issued prohibitory orders to prevent public anger from spiralling out of control.
Mr. Gandhi reached Wayanad via road from Kannur around 7 a.m. He first visited the house of Ajeesh, a farmer who was trampled to death by a radio-collared wild elephant named Belur Makhna in a residential locality at Chaligada.
Local residents had thronged the neighbourhood to see Mr. Gandhi. Later, Mr. Gandhi called on the next of kin of eco-tourism guide, Paul, another wild elephant victim, at Pakkom.
Mr. Gandhi also reached Moodakolly and interacted with the family of Prajeesh, who was mauled to death by a tiger that had intruded into human habitation.
Congress Working Committee member K.C. Venugopal accompanied Mr. Gandhi. The members of the bereaved families later told television news reporters that they had flagged the Forest department’s “ineffectual” response to wild animal threats and the “lack of facilities” for specialised care in State-funded hospitals in the district with Mr. Gandhi.
‘Expedite steps to mitigate human-wildlife conflict’
Later in the day, Mr. Gandhi urged the administration to expedite steps to mitigate the sudden spurt in the human-wildlife conflict in the district.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi meets the family of Ajeesh, a forest watchman who was killed in an elephant attack, in Wayanad, Kerala. | Photo Credit: PTI
Speaking to media persons in Kalpetta on Sunday after visiting the bereaved families who lost the breadwinners in wildlife attacks and discussing the spate in the human-wildlife conflict in the district with the senior officials, Mr. Gandhi said the solatium to the kin of the deceased and injured in wildlife attacks should be disbursed quickly and more effectively as there was a delay in payment in a last couple of months.
As the families, especially the poor families, lost their breadwinners in man-animal conflict, the delay in payment could not be justified, Mr. Gandhi added.
Mr. Gandhi stressed the need for setting up an early warning system and increasing the number of the Rapid Response Team to mitigate the conflict effectively.
Interstate coordination between Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka States should be improved as the forest area in the district is contiguous to the tiger reserves in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu States, he said.
The dearth of medical care facilities is a critical issue in the district as the Government Medical College here was yet to be developed. Hence expedite steps to make it a full-fledged Medical institution, he added.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary K.C. Venugopal MP, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee working president T. Siddiue MLA and senior Congress leaders accompanied him.
