Copyright republicworld
Mysuru: Karnataka's Forest Minister, Eshwar B Khandre, found himself at the centre of a raging storm in Mysuru on Monday, as irate farmers and villagers gheraoed him over the death of a person in a tiger attack in Saragur. The incident, which occurred on Sunday, has drawn massive outrage from the villagers, who attributed the tiger attack to the alleged negligence by forest officials.The villagers stated that Rajashekar (53), a farmer, was killed by a tiger near Mulluru village close to the Nugu wildlife sanctuary on October 26. The incident was the second after another tiger attack just ten days ago, in which another farmer was mauled and is currently battling for life in a hospital in Mysuru. The two back-to-back incidents raised the villagers' anger to a boiling point as the perturbed farmers demanded answers from the minister and the Congress-led government.Following the incident, Forest Minister Khandre visited the mortuary on Monday to pay his condolences to the deceased farmer. As the minister reached the mortuary, the sea of angry villagers and family members of the deceased confronted him, questioning Khandre over the failure of the forest department to prevent the tragedy and accusing them of dereliction of duty. They alleged that despite being alerted about the tiger's movement, the forest officials failed to set up a cage to capture the animal, leading to the fatal attack.The son of the deceased, Shivananda, expressed his anger and disappointment, stating that Minister Khandre was attending an event just 12 km away from the incident site but chose not to visit. He alleged that the attack happened at around 11 am, and the police and forest officials arrived only at 4 pm. Additionally, he alleged that the officials, without informing the deceased's family, took the body to Mysuru for the minister's convenience, which was unnecessary.The farmer activists warned that they might have to file cases against officials if officials fail to respond adequately to the recurring tiger attacks. "This is the second death in just 15 days, and it is unfortunate that Minister Khandre, despite being nearby, did not visit the victim's family," they said.The farmers' associations have attributed the rise in tiger attacks to tourism promotion, urging the minister to curb such activities in the region and advocating for measures to minimize the human-animal conflict situations. They have also demanded Rs 50 lakh compensation for the deceased's family and urged the waiver of any agricultural loans taken by Rajashekar.After the incident, the government is facing mounting pressure to address the escalating human-animal conflict, with allegations of illegal mining and resorts operating in forest areas further complicating the issue. Apart from Forest Minister Khandre, HD Kote MLA Anil Chikkamadu also faced the ire of farmers, who surrounded him, voicing their fears for their lives due to the increasing threat of wild animal attacks.Responding to the outrage, Khandre assured that disciplinary action would be taken against officials responsible for lapses or negligence. "We have received information about the incident. Disciplinary action will be taken against officials responsible for lapses or negligence, including forest department officers," he said.The forest minister explained that he received the information about the incident only after the event, when he was scheduled to travel to another location. "Local MLA Anil Chikkamadu informed me that he would visit the spot, and he did so. When the victim's family spoke to me over the phone, I assured them that I would visit later," he added.Minister Khandre acknowledged the tragic nature of the incident and assured the family of government support. "This is a tragic incident. The government stands with the grieving family and strongly condemns the tragedy. Such incidents must not recur. I have called for a meeting in Bandipur to discuss precautionary measures in detail and to prevent such incidents in the future," he said.The minister also addressed the issue of man-animal conflict, stating that it has existed for hundreds of years and requires a conducive environment for humans and wildlife to coexist. "The victim was attacked by a tiger while grazing cattle in the forest. Man-animal conflict is not a new phenomenon; it has existed for centuries. We need to establish an environment conducive to coexistence between humans and wildlife. Over the years, forest areas have been encroached upon, leading to an increase in wild animal populations," he added.The family of the deceased will receive compensation, and Minister Khandre assured additional financial aid. "Illegal resorts operating in forest areas will also be removed," he stated.Further details regarding the death of the farmer in the tiger attack are awaited.
