KOCHI: Surprising both his friends and foes alike, ecologist Madhav Gadgil’s call for culling of tigers and licensed hunting outside national parks has made him a friend of the Church in Kerala, which had burned him in effigy in 2013 over his report on Western Ghats. The Church welcomed his new stand which gives preference to human rights over wildlife, and said it will provide a new spirit for the Church to fight for human lives.
Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council home justice and development commission secretary Fr Jacob Mavunkal appreciated the change in the stand of Gadgil.
“His recommendations on declaration of an eco-sensitive area around Western Ghats had added to the perils of farmers. The Church endorses the stand to cull the wild animals that cause trouble to the farmers living in forest fringe areas. We should ensure protection to the life and property of farmers,” said Fr Jacob Mavunkal.
Gadgil also participated in an online discussion on Saturday which was presided over by Thamarassery Bishop Mar Remegious Inchananiyil.
Gadgil: Allow rational harvesting of wildlife
Asserting his argument that the Wildlife Protection Act should be scrapped, Gadgil said the government should allow rational harvesting of wildlife to control population and to protect the rights of farmers. Speaking in the meeting, he said no other country has unscientific wildlife protection Act like India.
“All species are controlled by predation. Humans originated three lakh years ago in Africa and in the initial phase we were group hunters. The humans hunted elephants, deer, pigs and all other species for consumption of meat. This continued till 15,000 years ago. Throughout human civilisation people have hunted animals,” he said while speaking in the online meeting organised by the Save Western Ghat People Foundation (SWGPF) on the threat to human life due to straying of wild animals to human habitations.
Gadgil said that over the past 50 years, the population of elephants has grown three times. The forest department is notorious for giving wrong numbers about wildlife population. They protect the interests of miners. Wild pig was part of normal diet of people for centuries, he added.
While Sweden and Norway are on the top of the list of countries protecting environment, India stands at the bottom of the 180 member list. “Everywhere in the southern parts of Sweden we can see Moose roaming the streets. In the northern parts of the country there are rain deer. The government issues regular hunting licenses. It is the local community that decides on the number of animals to be harvested in each area,” said Gadgil.
He said the BioDiversity Act of 2002, should be implemented. As per the act there will be biodiversity management committee in each panchayat which will decide on management of bio diversity resources and habitat.
Bishop Mar Remigiose Inchananiyil told Gadgil: “Your opinion about preference to human rights than wildlife provides a new spirit for us. We will stand together in our fight against government and forest officers to protect the farmers. We don’t support atrocities against wild animals. But those that invade our farmlands need to be killed. The government is torturing the farmers and we are afraid of them.”