KOCHI: Leelamma, sister of Eldhose, was inconsolable as the neighbours handed over a carry bag recovered from the spot where his body was found. Apart from vegetables there was a Christmas star, a cake and other gifts for the family.
Eldhose who had not visited his parents for the past one month had sought 10-day leave from the security agency to celebrate Christmas with his family. Planning to give a surprise, Eldhose did not inform his father Varghese about his arrival. As neighbours informed Varghese about the death of a man in an elephant attack, he never thought it would be his son.
Eldhose, the sole breadwinner of the Knacherry Kodiyatt family, reached Urulanthanni in a KSRTC bus at 8pm on Monday and was walking home when he was trampled to death by a wild elephant.
As there was no streetlight in the area, Eldhose walked in darkness and was caught in front of the tusker which was standing on the road. A family from Knacherry that passed through the area in a car found his mutilated body near Knacherry Durga temple around 8.30 pm.
As shock of the brutal elephant attack gave way to grief and anger, Urulanthanni in Kuttampuzha panchayat witnessed a rare protest on Monday night.
Hundreds of residents, including women and children, assembled at Urulanthanni and protested with the body of Eldhose.
The protest that started at 8.30pm, ended at 3am after district collector N S K Umesh and Kothamangalam MLA Antony John assured that trenches will be dug to save residents from elephants. He said street lights and hanging solar fences will be installed in the area. A review meeting will be held on December 27 to ensure that the grievances of the residents are addressed.
The body of Eldhose was brought to his residence at Knacherry around 1 pm after completing post-mortem examination at Kalamassery Medical College Hospital. Hundreds had assembled at Urulanthanni and a huge posse of police was deployed in the area to avoid untoward incidents.
The protest was against the lackadaisical attitude of forest officers who did not visit the area even after the residents alerted about the presence of elephants at 5 pm on Monday.
The funeral was held at Chelad Puramattom Syrian Marthoma Church Cemetery around 4.30 pm. Meanwhile, the residens of Kuttampuzha and Kothamangalam held a massive protest in front of Kothamangalam Divisional Forest Office demanding steps to end the elephant menace which claimed two lives within a span of three days.
Kothamangalam Bishop Mar George Madathikandathil, Metropolitan Mor Elias Julius, Kothamangalam MLA Antony John and Muvattupuzha MLA Mathew Kuzhalnadan spoke at the protest meeting.
‘Rehabilitate us before elephants raze our homes’
Knacherry is a settlement located around one-and-a-half km away from Urulanthanni with a population of around 150 people. Though there were 60 families in the area, many have shifted to Kuttampuzha and Kothamangalam fearing wild animals.
Around one km stretch of the road leading to Knacherry passes through the forest occupied by wild elephants. “The elephants started entering the village around six years ago. Now there is constant presence of elephants even during day time. We have been pleading with the forest department to take over our land and give compensation so that we can shift to safer paces. If we continue at this place, elephants will raze our homes and kill us,” said Gomathy, a neighbour of Eldhose.
“We are not able to cultivate anything. Monkeys, sambar deer, giant squirrels, wild pigs and elephants have been destroying our crops. We are afraid of stepping out of the house after nightfall. We have to escort our children to school and bring them back because elephants may enter the road any time. Once we were chased by a wild elephant when I was taking the children home after school. There is no safety here. We urge the government to rehabilitate us,” said Gomathy.