SIRCILLA : One by one, residents of Kandikatkur, a dusty village in Illanthakunta mandal of Rajanna Sircilla district, on Monday evening made their way to the residence of newly elected sarpanch Chintalapalli Vijayamma to thank her for implementing her promise of tackling the monkey menace.
For months, the writ of monkeys had run unchecked in Kandikatkur, the simians holding meetings on rooftops, passing resolutions from electric poles, and enforcing their own version of redistribution by liberating bananas, coconuts and clothes left to dry. The monkeys had forced children to guard their schoolbags like valuables, elders to time their temple visits between raids, and farmers to keep their eyes peeled on their crops, lest they fall victim to the inextinguishable appetite of the simians.
During the election campaign, Vijayamma made a promise to deal with the monkeys if elected. On Sunday, in the second phase of the elections, Kandikatkur residents reposed their faith in her and on Monday, she began implementing her promise. Monkey catchers were engaged. “Operation Going Bananas” began in earnest and by mid-day, 113 monkeys had been safely caught and caged. By evening, they were released into a distant forest, where rooftops are fewer and trees grow without fences.
The village responded by marching up to Vijayamma’s home and thanking her. Shopkeepers told her that they were now reopening shutters without looking up first. Housewives said that they hoped to cast aside the sticks they used to shoo away the monkeys. They also said that for once, local governance had moved faster than the problem.
Vijayamma thanked them and said that it was a relief that Kandikatkur at last belonged to its residents again.