Wayanad: A woman who lived in a forested village along the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border made the ultimate sacrifice to save her daughter from the fury of an elephant herd.
Sunitha (42) died at the Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode on Friday. She succumbed to injuries sustained after she was trampled by a wild elephant. Her ribs were broken; her lungs and heart were severly damaged in the attack. Her daughter, Aswathy (19) escaped with minor scratches on her body.
The incident occurred in the Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu around 7.45 am on Thursday. Sunitha and herthedaughter, Aswathy were on their way to the village bus stop when an elephant charged at them.
Usually, Aswathy, who is a final-year student at a Government College in Gudalur, walks alone to the bus stop, which is 10 minutes from her house. But Sunitha decided to accompany her as an elephant herd had been spotted in the locality the previous night. Aswathy's father, Ravi, had been away on work in Kozhikode for the past few months.
According to reports, there was a loud noise and the women found themselves in close proximity of an elephant herd. Suddenly, an elephant charged at them, and in the panic, Aswathy fell. Sunitha, who was at a safe distance, rushed back to save her daughter.
She threw herself over Aswathy as the elephant was about to trample her. The fury of the animal left her seriously injured. By the time the villagers chased the elephants away, the woman and her daughter had been rendered unconscious.
“They were rushed to the WIMS Medical College Hospital, Meppadi soon after and then to Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode,” Sunitha's neighbour Ranjini Joy told Onmanorama. “We were praying for her life but the bitter news came yesterday afternoon that Sunitha was dead,” said a tearful Ranjini.
Irate crowd block road
Sunitha's death provoked the villagers who blocked the Sulthan Bathery-Ooty Road at Koranchal, near Cherambadi on Saturday. The agitation was called off after discussions with authorities in the presence of Gudalur MLA Pon Jayaseelan.
The MLA assured the agitators that the bereaved family will be paid a compensation of Rs 5 lakh at the earliest and a member of the family will be given a temporary job. He said the forest department would take necessary steps to ensure the safety of people living in constant threat of wild animal attacks.
Meanwhile, when asked about the compensation of Rs 10 lakh that Kerala gives to the families of people killed by wild animals, MLA Jayaseelan said there was a huge difference in the value of human lives on either side of the check-post.
Sunitha's youngest daughter Akshaya is an 8th standard student. Hundreds paid their respects to Sunitha before her burial.
