The Public Affairs Commission of the Syro-Malabar Church urgently calls on the government to intervene. In hilly areas, almost everything farmers grow is destroyed by wild boars, elephants and monkeys. The number of people killed in wild animal attacks is on the rise.
Kakkanad (AsiaNews) – The government must act immediately to protect farmers, farms and livestock from wild animal attacks, said Mar Andrews Thazhath, president of the Public Affairs Commission of the Syro-Malabar Church, in Kakkanad, Kerala.
In a press release, the Commission notes that it is not in the interest of a civilised society to ignore the cries of farmers and their families who are losing their lives due to wild animal attacks.
The growing presence and invasion of wildlife is creating more problems for farmers, already burdened by poor living conditions and the crisis of the agricultural sector.
In hilly areas, almost everything farmers grow is destroyed by wild boars, elephants and monkeys. Even when harvests are ready, they can be destroyed overnight, whilst government agencies and departments remain silent.
There is no one to look into the plight of farming families whose only income comes from the land. Often farmers have to spend more than the meagre compensation they get, which, far too often, is obtained after tedious procedures.
Meanwhile, the number of people killed in wild animal attacks is on the increase. In the past 10 years, nearly a thousand people in Kerala have lost their lives in such incidents.
It is a sad reality that the loss of human life in wild animal attacks gets much less attention from the media and the public than an injured wild animal. It is a democratic government's duty to protect farmers from such attacks.
Pets and livestock are also vulnerable to wildlife attacks as much as farmers. Very often, farmers are not given proportionate compensation when their livestock falls prey to wildlife. The situation is alarming as wild animals and their attacks are multiplying uncontrollably.
In view of the situation, the press release calls on the government to take effective measures to protect the lives and properties of farmers, upholding the unique place humans occupy in the biosphere.