The hartal called by the United Democratic Front and Bharatiya Janata Party in Aralam panchayat on Monday, following the death of an elderly couple in a wild elephant attack at Aralam farm on Sunday, saw the complete shutdown of shops and offices. However, vehicular movement remained unaffected.
The victims, Velli and Leela, from block 13 of the Aralam farm, were fatally attacked by an elephant on Sunday evening while they were returning after collecting cashew nuts. The incident happened near the Rapid Response Team office.
Tension escalated as local people staged a protest, initially preventing the ambulance from moving the bodies. The bodies could be shifted to the hospital only past midnight after the intervention of the Sub-collector and discussions with the police.
The post-mortem examination was completed at Government Medical College Hospital, Kannur, on Monday. The bodies were later brought back to the Aralam farm and cremated at their daughter’s residence.
‘Faulty relocation’
Meanwhile, members of the Adivasi Dalit Munnetra Samiti and Adivasi Gotra Jana Sabha marched to the Aralam wildlife centre, demanding immediate action to prevent wildlife incursions into human habitations. Sreeraman Koyyon, president of the samiti, condemned the government failure to ensure the safety of the tribal population.
He criticised the authorities for relocating 3,000 tribal families near the sanctuary without adequate protection, calling it a gross violation of human rights.
Mr. Koyyon held the Tribal Rehabilitation Development Mission and the District Collector accountable for the couple’s death. He pointed out that despite years of demands, the construction of an elephant-proof wall began only last year, and even now, less that a quarter of the work had been completed.
‘Temporary measures’
Mr. Koyyon said the authorities were taking only temporary measures, such as driving elephants back into the forest and installing electric fencing.
Earlier in the day, speaking to media, Forest Minister A.K. Saseendran acknowledged the unusual nature of the incident and the strong public response. He said that an all-party meeting in Aralam would formulate action plans to address the issue.
The Minister stressed the need for swift implementation of projects. He said that administrative delays in executing the elephant wall project would be addressed. The Minister also proposed measures such as clearing the undergrowth in the Aralam farm to control wildlife movement and installing additional surveillance cameras.
Published – February 24, 2025 06:41 pm IST
