'RSS Agenda': CPI (M) on targeting of Malappurram over elephant's killing

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'RSS Agenda': CPI (M) on targeting of Malappurram over elephant's killing

The CPI (M) also said that the pregnant elephant's killing was a very sad incident and a probe is going on

Friday June 5, 2020 5:13 PM, ummid.com with inputs from IANS

Thiruvananthapuram: The ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) Friday slamming communalisation of the pregenant elephant in Mannarkkad, in Palakkad distric of Kerala said the move was part of RSS agenda done with ulterior motives.

The CPI (M) also said that the pregnant elephant's killing was a very sad incident and a probe is going on.

"But, it is totally unacceptable for Maneka Gandhi and the present Union Minister to point out that this happened in Malappurram district. This is the agenda of the RSS to communalise the issue and target Malappurram for ulterior motives," State CPI-M Secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told media.

Maneka Gandhi had gone on record stating that the killing of elephant occurred in Malappurram, a thickly populated Muslim-majority district.

Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar also referred to the incident taking place at Malappurram.

The fact is that the incident actually happened in Mannarkkad in Palakkad district of Kerala, and not in Malappurram.

Following the unofunded comments by Maneka Gandhi and Javadekar, there was an uproar with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala and numerous Indian Union Muslim League leaders slamming their remarks, alleging they were trying to unnecessarily turn a non-issue into a communal issue.

Man-animal conflict

One of the state's top elephant expert P.S.Esa, a member of various bodies including the Asian Elephant Specialist Group, IUCN/SSC told IANS that in his close to four-decade long official career attending to elephants, similar incidents like this have taken place about five times.

"There are two possibilities, one of which is the age old issue of man-animal conflict and this happens in areas where farming activities take place near the forests. Wild elephants do attack farms and take away products which they like and naturally the farmers react. At some places solar electric fences are erected. Another possibility is there are times when poaching takes place, but though one cannot rule that out, generally Kerala does not have many such cases," said Esa.

Esa pointed out that Kerala has taken giant strides in tending to both wild and captive elephants.

According to studies Kerala has about 5700 to 6000 wild elephants, while there are close to 500 captive elephants.

"Reports are there that every year about two per cent of wild elephants die and a post mortem is done to see if the cause of death is due to contagious diseases. Compared to other states in the country, the Kerala forest department is truly professional and its officers are also passionate about their work," said Esa.

Another expert, elephant veterinarian Jacob Cheeran, said by and large incidents like these would go down as part of the man-animal conflict.

"In my career I have seen there are two types of conflicts, one when elephants attack the farmers and the other when elephants attack illicit distillers. I have seen this in the forests of North Bengal and this happens in Kerala also. For elephants, illicit liquor wash is a favourite item and when it gets the smell it comes to the place where this is being brewed, chases away the distillers and gets drunk on it," said Cheeran.

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