KOZHIKODE: Arikomban, one of the notorious elephants in the state, had been a regular fixture in newspapers this summer after wreaking havoc in Chinnakanal and nearby areas. However, despite its berserk nature, the wild tusker boasts a huge fan base, in Kerala and beyond.
The dramatic scenes that unfolded at Kidson Corner near Mananchira Square in the heart of the city on Sunday is perhaps testimony to this. The slogan ‘Justice for Arikomban’ rang loud here as activists of the Save Arikomban Forum organised a protest demanding that the tusker be returned to its original habitat.
Citing how the tusker was a victim of forest encroachment, the activists even threatened to not cast a vote in the next polls if no positive steps are taken to ensure the tusker’s safety and to prevent another Arikomban incident.
Animal lovers from as far as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu were among those who joined the protest. “Travelling to Kerala for a noble cause is no big deal for my family. Arikomban deserves to be back in his habitat,” said Rajkumar S, who has been raking up a storm on social media platforms in support of Arikomban.Media personality Pradeep Olavanna inaugurated the protest meeting held after the demonstration. Advocate Deepa, Pradeep Narayanan, Shimmy M, Tennish Thomas, Nijala Paradan, and others led the way.
In May, after months of giving the locals distress, Arikomban was tranquilised and shifted to Periyar Tiger Reserve, around 80 kilometres away. This is a region that is contrary to its natural habitat, the protesters pointed out. They also alleged that due to the excessive use of drugs on the animal, Arikomban has developed serious health problems.
According to them, this was done despite there being a law that prohibits removing wild animals from their habitat. The protesters demanded that Arikomban be brought back to its native land, and urged the authorities to ramp up their activities to prevent forest encroachment by resort mafias.
Kozhikode was the sixth district where the Forum had staged protests in recent weeks. “The next protest will be held in Wayanad,” Pradeep said. Earlier, protests were held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, and Kannur districts.
The tusker got the moniker ‘Arikomban’ for its raids on local shops for rice.
In Malayalam, ‘ari’ means rice, while komban refers to tusker.