Aralam wild elephant attack: Protesters block ambulance carrying bodies

Kannur: Protesters and villagers in Aralam on Monday blocked the ambulance carrying the bodies of a tribal couple killed in a wild elephant attack. The vehicle was stopped 100m before the couple's house, and protesters refused to take the bodies home till Forest Minister AK Saseendran arrived.

The villagers also prevented CPM Kannur District Secretary MV Jayarajan and other leaders who arrived at the scene from proceeding further.

High-level meet on Feb 27
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called for a high-level meeting to evaluate the measures to address human-wildlife conflicts. The meeting will be held on February 27 at 3.30 pm in the Chief Minister’s conference hall at the Secretariat.

Ministers from the forest, finance, local self-government, electricity, revenue, health, and irrigation departments will attend the meeting.

Senior officials, including the chief secretary, secretaries of the forest, finance, local self-government, electricity, home, irrigation and revenue departments, along with top officials from the forest and wildlife department, the state police chief, and the member secretary of the State Disaster Management Authority, will also be present. The meeting will review the actions taken so far to mitigate human-wildlife conflict.

UDF, BJP hartal underway
A hartal declared by the UDF and BJP in Aralam is underway following the tragic death of a tribal couple.

The elephant attacked Velliyadan and Leela around noon on Sunday while they were returning after collecting cashew nuts in the 13th Block. The elderly couple died on the spot after being attacked by a wild elephant that had been hiding behind their house. 

The bodies of Velliyadan and Leela were shifted to Pariyaram Medical College Hospital around midnight on Sunday following intense protests from the locals. Despite the arrival of Sub-Collector Karthik Panigrahi, locals initially refused to allow the ambulance to shift the bodies. It was only after discussions with the police that they relented.

Authorities have announced a compensation of Rs 20 lakh for the victims’ family, with the first phase of the payment set to be disbursed today.

So far, around 20 people have been killed in wild elephant attacks in Aralam Farm, a designated Adivasi resettlement area. Though the construction of an elephant-proof wall along the forest border began two years ago, it remains incomplete. 

Due to frequent wild animal intrusions, hundreds of families in the area have abandoned their homes.