IDUKKI/KOZHIKODE: Idukki District Congress Committee President C P Mathew has again courted controversy with his comments that wild elephants that enter human habitations should be shot in the forehead. Mathew claimed that he knew people in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu who are capable of shooting troublemaking elephants on the forehead.
“It may be illegal. But being a political party that stands for the welfare and safety of the people we may be forced to bring people to shoot the elephants. We have the right to protect the lives of residents,” he said. Mathew was speaking to reporters on Sunday at Poopara, where an indefinite hunger strike is being held under the leadership of the Youth Congress against the increasing menace of wild elephants in Santhanpara and Chinnakkanal.
“The government should shoot or tranquillize Arikompan, Chakkakompan, Padayappa, and other tuskers and shift them to Kodanad or any other government-owned land,” he added. Wild elephants that are locally known in the names of Chakkakombam, Arikomban, Murivalan, and Padayappa have been damaging properties and killing humans in the past few months in the Chinnakkanal, Munnar, and Santhanpara areas of Idukki. A tribal forest watcher named Sakthivel was recently killed in a wild elephant attack last week in Chinnakkanal.
Mathew also demanded that the government should take strong action against the menace of wild animals in the Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara regions. Forest Minister AK Saseendran reacted strongly against Mathew’s statement that wild elephants entering human settlements will be shot. “CP Mathew said provocative words. Now Mathew had indirectly stated that he has links with forest mafia,” the minister alleged. He was responding to the DCC president’s statement in Kozhikode about the increasing wild elephant attacks in Idukki.
“We need to understand the terrains and geological features of Idukki and deal with the elephant attacks. The government cannot act illegally. Do not try to create law and order problem by making such irresponsible remarks,” the minister added.
Meanwhile, as per the direction given by the forest minister, a special team from Wayanad is camping in Chinnakkanal to monitor the wild elephants that intrude into human settlements and take steps to shift them to another location.
Idukki district administration is also arranging door-to-door delivery of ration items in Chinnakkanal and Santhanpara areas to avoid wild elephants from attacking people.