Farmers’ vote only for those who implement demands, says KIFA
KOCHI: The Kerala Independent Farmers Association (KIFA) released its charter of demands on Thursday and declared that farmers will vote only for candidates who include the demands in their election manifesto for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
The demands include protection of farmers’ rights and regulating the population of wild animals based on a scientific study on the carrying capacity of forests.
KIFA chairman Alex Ozhukayil said the government should bring in a law that defines a farmer and ensures their rights in India. Saying the Wild Life Protection Act, in its current form, provided protection to wild animals irrespective of their conservation status and numbers, he said the protection should be extended only to species in endangered list, and solely within the forest and protected areas.
“Humans should have the full right and legal protection to protect themselves and their crops from any wild animal attacks outside the forest, using any means,” Alex said.
He said wildlife should be treated as renewable resources and the government should bring in regulations on their numbers based on studies on carrying capacity of forests. He called for controlling wildlife population through culling based on carrying capacity and taking steps to stop contiguous forest building plan and eviction using wild animals as a ‘bioweapon’ in the Western Ghats.
“Deeds should be granted to all agricultural lands held prior to December 12, 1996, based on The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023. The forest department should stop claiming rights over revenue lands,” he demanded.
Also on charter
Establish ‘Human Sensitive Zones’ (HSZ) within 500m from forest boundaries
Ensure fair compensation to dependants of wild animal attack victims based on age and dependents’ number
Handing necessary firearms licences to farmers to deal with wild animal menace
Excluding revenue land from Ecologically Sensitive Zone around wildlife sanctuaries and other protected areas across the country
Providing farmers carbon credit and green credit for the carbon sink they preserve on the farmland.