(Left to Right) Congress MP Rahul Gandhi meets the family of Ajeesh, the Kerala farmer who was killed in an elephant attack, in Wayanad, on February 18, 2024; A file photo of BJP leader and Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra.
Credit: PTI, DH Photo
Hubballi: After Karnataka government decided to pay compensation of Rs 15 lakh to family members of a Kerala farmer, who was killed by a translocated elephant from Hassan, a controversy has erupted in the state -- with both political parties and wildlife activists questioning the largesse of Karnataka government.
In a letter to senior Congress leader and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre stated that on his (Rahul’s) advice the Karnataka cabinet headed by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has decided to pay a compensation of Rs 15 lakh to the farmer in Rahul’s constituency after being trampled by a radio-collared elephant named ‘Tuskar’.
Sources in the forest department claim that this is for the first time that Karnataka government is paying a compensation to victim from other state.
According to the sources in Khandre’s office, the State government decided to compensate the farmer in Kerala only on humanitarian grounds. “There is a mistake on the part of Karnataka Forest Department as we failed to inform our counterparts in Kerala regarding the movement of that elephant,” a sources told DH.
The collared makhana elephant (a male elephant without tusk) was captured in November near Hassan and was released in Bandipur after villagers in Hassan and Madikeri protested against release of the elephant in their area. The elephant last week entered Wayanad and trampled the Kerala man, Ajeesh, resulting in widescale protest in Kerala.
However, the decision of Congress government has come under severe criticism from BJP, which has termed the payment of compensation as “insult” to Karnataka as State’s exchequer is being used to “please party leader”.
Taking to social media, BJP leader and Shivamogga MP B Y Raghavendra charged: “Congress government’s misusing taxpayers’ money is an insult to Karnataka. The State government is cheating the Karnataka by illegally compensating a farmer in Wayanad, just because it happens to be Rahul’s Lok Sabha constituency.”
Raghavendra questioned the gesture of Congress government at a time when Karnataka is reeling under severe drought and hundreds of farmers are ending their lives by suicide due to loans. “The government has approved this compensation only to please Rahul,” he said.
Why Kerala govt isn’t being penalized for killing an ‘Karnataka’ elephant? Wildlife activists ask state govt
The Wildlife activists are also not pleased with State government’s decision and questioned the Forest Minister over not seeking compensation for another elephant that died due to over-dose of tranquilizer during rescue and repatriation of the elephant to Karnataka recently.
“Why elephants life does not matter for governments and political leaders. If Karnataka government is compensating the farmer, then why Kerala government isn’t being penalized for killing an ‘Karnataka’ elephant,” asks wildlife activist Joseph Hoover.
“Animals do not have borders and no state can claim it to be their own. Then why is Karnataka is paying compensation in Kerala,” he said, adding that defragmentation of elephant corridor is the main reason for increase in human-animal conflict and the governments should concentrate on this first.