Forest fringes turn 'conflict zones', but race to harvest votes gives farmers a say

TIGERS, leopards, elephants, gaurs, wild pigs... As summer nears, the forest fringes are turning conflict zones.

- MANOJ VISWANATHAN @Kochi

TIGERS, leopards, elephants, gaurs, wild pigs... As summer nears, the forest fringes are turning conflict zones. This time, though, the farmers in such areas are breathing a little easier. With just a year to go for the assembly polls, politicians have started responding to their wails.

Accepting the concerns raised by the farmers, the state government withdrew the Forest Amendment Bill and Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan is taking out a protest march from Irikkur in Kannur to Amboori in Thiruvananthapuram demanding the farmers be saved from wild animals.

Well ahead of summer, the human-wild animal conflict has started rising on forest fringes, giving sleepless nights to farmers. Over 33 days, from December 14 to January 15, as many as seven people were trampled by wild elephants in the state.

A leaders' meet of the Catholic Congress, held at the Pastoral Orientation Centre in Kochi last week, has decided to act as a vote bank during the upcoming local body polls and the assembly polls to protect the interests of the community.