Man undergoing treatment after wild elephant attack in Kerala's Wayanad dies, local residents stage protest (Kalpetta)
Man undergoing treatment after wild elephant attack in Kerala's Wayanad
dies, local residents stage protest (Kalpetta)
The New Indian Express
July 17, 2024
See link
https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/states/kerala/2024/Jul/17/villagers-block-road-in-keralas-wayanad-demand-justice-for-elephant-attack-victim
for photo.
Local residents blocked the National Highway and staged a protest with the
body of Raju, 50, a member of the Kuruman tribe from Marode Kallumukku, who
died after a wild elephant attack in Kallur, near Sultan Bathery. Raju
succumbed to his injuries on Tuesday while undergoing treatment at a
private hospital in Kozhikode.
On Wednesday morning, protestors gathered against Minister O.R. Kelu, who
came to visit Raju's house. They demanded Rs 50 lakh in compensation for
Raju's family and a permanent government job for his son. The protest also
targeted forest department officials.
In the subsequent all-party meeting, it was decided to provide immediate
financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh to the family of the deceased. Decisions
such as recommending the government for more financial assistance, giving a
job to one person in the family, recommending to the government to give a
permanent job to the relative, providing an insurance amount of one lakh,
and providing government assistance for children's higher education -- were
also taken in the meeting.
Raju was attacked by an elephant when he was walking home from the farm
around 8.45 pm on Sunday night. The wild elephant standing near the field
suddenly turned towards Raju and attacked him. Raju was seriously injured
in the attack and was admitted to a private hospital in Kozhikode and
underwent surgery on Monday morning. He died while undergoing treatment on
Tuesday around 3.30 pm.
On Monday also, there was a protest and road blockade by local residents in
Kallur in protest against the repeated wild elephant attacks in Wayanad. In
January, Lakshmanan, 65, of Pannikkal tribal colony, who worked as an
estate watchman, was killed by a wild elephant near the estate in
Tholpetty. In February, Ajeesh Joseph, a farmer, was trampled to death by a
wild elephant in Mananthavady. A week later, Paul V P, a forest watcher
from Pulpally, lost his life to a wild elephant attack near the Kuruva
Island Eco Tourism Centre. In March, Mini, 33, belongs to the Cholanaikkan
tribe in Vaduvanchal of Muppainad panchayat, who was out collecting wild
honey, was trampled to death by a wild elephant at Parappanpara in the
Meppadi forest range of Wayanad.