Rahul Gandhi writes to Kerala CM; demands state action in Wayanad elephant attack

Wayanad (Kerala) [India], February 12 (ANI): Senior Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi has sent a letter to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan requesting decisive action on the death of a man due to an elephant attack in the state’s Wayanad district recently.

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi wrote to the Kerala Chief Minister about the death of a Wayanad native in a wild elephant attack on Saturday and requested the state government take action to protect the communities and to put in place an efficient quick response mechanism for emergencies of this nature.

In the letter, Rahul Gandhi said, “I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you regarding the shocking demise of Ajeesh Panachiyil from Payyampally. He was fatally attacked by an elephant. Another life has been tragically lost in Wayanad due to a wildlife attack. He was not only the sole breadwinner of his family but also the primary caregiver for his bedridden mother. My heart goes out to his family, especially his ailing mother and young children.”

“The spate of wildlife attacks, especially elephant attacks, has caused tremendous damage to the lives and livelihoods of the people of Wayanad. The people in my constituency have paid a huge price due to the rising instances of human-animal conflict, and our communities, especially those residing adjacent to the forests, live in perpetual fear,” it said.

“We have time and again raised the issue of human-wildlife conflict and sought your intervention to mitigate such attacks in Wayanad, particularly to protect our farmers. However, the lack of a comprehensive action plan to tackle this issue has only served to aggravate the conflict,” the letter stated.

“In this backdrop, I urge the state government to take decisive action to protect our communities and to put in place an efficient, quick response mechanism for emergencies of this nature. I would also like to request that the state government enhance compensation for the families of the deceased,” it said further.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government announced Rs 10 lakh compensation while also assuring a job to one of the family members of the 42-year-old deceased.

This comes after a man died in a wild elephant attack in the Wayanad district of Kerala on Saturday morning.

According to Kerala Forest Minister AK Saseendran, the victim was attacked when the elephant ventured into a residential area near Mananthavady.

The minister directed the Wayanad district collector and police chief to discuss with the local body representatives and to take the necessary action to tranquillize the tusker.

The Kerala Forest Department had confirmed the presence of a tusker with a radio collar fitted by the Karnataka Forest Department in the Wayanad forest area two days before the incident.

Local people protested, alleging that even though the forest department confirmed the presence of the elephant two days ago, they did not take any action to prevent it from entering the residential areas.

Earlier, the rogue tusker Thanneer Komban, another elephant with a radio collar, was seen at Mananthavadi in Wayanad last week. After much effort, the tusker was tranquilized and captured but later on, it died.