Copyright thehindu
Minister for Forests, Ecology, and Environment Eshwar B. Khandre faced farmers’ ire in Mysuru on Monday (October 27, 2025) over the death of a person due to a tiger attack in Saragur. Rajashekar (53) was killed by a tiger near Mulluru village close to Nugu wildlife sanctuary on October 26, 2025. This came close on the heels of a similar incident almost 10 days ago in which another farmer was mauled and is battling for life in a private hospital in Mysuru. Both incidents took place in Saragur and has perturbed the local people. Mr. Khandre, who reached K.R. Hospital in the city to pay his last respects to the deceased, was surrounded by farmers who staged an agitation and accused the forest department staff of dereliction of duty. The farmers expressed their outrage over recurring human-animal conflict and wanted an permanent solution to it. Mr. Khandre said that in case there was dereliction of duty on part of the officials in trapping and tranquilising the tiger despite complaints from the public, action would be initiated against them. Minister defends Mysuru visit Questions were also raised over the decision to shift the body of Rajashekar to Mysuru for postmortem despite the facility being available at Saragur. The underlying implication was that it was done to shield the minister from public anger. The farmers also expressed their angst that the minister, who was near Saragur on Sunday (October 26), did not visit the place of the incident. However, Mr. Khandre said that he learnt that the body was brought to Mysuru while he was in the city and hence decided to pay his last respects. “It is a fallacy to suggest that the body was shifted to Mysuru for my sake,” he added. KRRS president Badagalpura Nagendra sought ₹50 lakh as compensation to the family of the deceased and demanded that any agricultural loan, if availed by Rajashekar, should also be waived off. Curb tourism activities The Karnataka State Sugarcane Farmers Association president H. Bhagyaraj attributed the increase in tiger attacks in the region to tourism promotion and urged the minister to discourage tourism activities in the region. “You are promoting tourism activity including safari for the moneyed people from the cities and it is the local people living adjacent to the forests who are paying the price due to habitat disturbance,” said Mr. Bhagyaraj. Government should take steps to curb tourism activities in the forest region to minimise conflict situation. Apart from resorts, there is illegal mining in the area and the government should crack down on it, said Mr. Bhagyaraj. In a related development, H.D. Kote MLA Anil Chikkamadu came under fire by farmers who surrounded him and expressed their ire over the death of Rajashekar. The MLA, who visited the spot on Sunday, faced the wrath of the local community who said that they feared for their lives due to escalation in human-animal conflict.
