Wild animals marauding crops: Farmers threaten to vote for NOTA in LS polls

VELLORE: The Tamilaga Vivasayigal Sangam has decided to vote for NOTA (none of the above) in the upcoming LS polls upset with officials not acting upon their complaints over wild animals rampaging farms.

The decision was taken at the 100th birth anniversary celebrations of sangam’s founder Narayanasamy Naidu at Coimbatore on February 6, according to the state president of the association T Venugopal.

The committee plans to meet like-minded associations and farmer/farm product-related organisations across the state to galvanise support for their decision, the association’s general secretary S Udayakumar said. “We raised the issues faced by farmers during the agricultural grievances day meet in Vellore on January 30, but our concerns weren’t taken seriously,” he added. The issue stems from the arrest of two farmers Mohan Babu and Suresh of Sarangal village near Pernambut on August 28, 2022 for allegedly putting up a metal fence and electrifying it without permission to protect their farms from wild animals.

Forest officials allegedly insisted that farmers give in writing that they would not indulge in similar acts in the future. “When the association is demanding that the false case against both farmers be dropped, we wonder how the forest department can make such a demand,” the association’s youth wing state president R Subash said.

“The department seems to be more bothered about protecting wildlife and not human livelihood, despite our sufferings, losses and even deaths. Repeated demands for action have not elicited an adequate response. Forest officials will understand the problems farmers face only if they are willing to talk to us,” he lamented.