CPI(M) Pathanamthitta district chief KP Udayabhanu courted controversy by openly challenging Forest laws that prevent the culling of wild animals that invade human settlements. The senior communist leader said the people would "handle" forest officials who show up with rules and cases when a wild animal causing trouble to people is harmed. Several forest officials are indifferent to problems caused by wild animals that roam outside forests to poor farmers, he said while addressing a march to the DFO office.
KP Udayabhanu said locals should organise without bothering about gun licenses when their livelihoods are threatened by wild animals. He criticised the RSS and central government claiming that they care more about snakes and elephants than about people, Manorama Online said in a report.
Here are five things that CPI(M) leader Udayabhanu said during the DFO officie march that has become a talking point:
1. RSS in Kerala is against declaring wild boars as vicious animals. It is said that boar is the third 'Avatar' of Mahavishnu. The state government doesn't have the authority to do so (declare animals as vicious). It rests with the Centre.
2. A survey should be conducted on the wildlife that can survive in each forest area. Anything beyond that should be shot. We have no problem with wildlife living within the forest. But if they step outside the forest, we will deal with it.
3. Humans don't matter to the central government. Monkeys, boars, snakes and all important for them. The snakes are consumed by the Chinese while we worship them. We have strange ways of life in our country.
4. The locals will kill wild boars that come out of the forests to human property. We will "handle" you if you show up with cases then, Manorama Online reported him as saying.
5. Don't try to scare us with the laws. Some so-called forest officials are undetached from the public, they don't know what the real problems of people are. They are unable to see the pain of poor farmers. No wild animal should invade human settlements. No matter whether it is an elephant or boar or leopard or tiger, the locals should organise. You don't need a gun license for that...