Gaur attack death fuels farmers’ ire at Vilangad in Keralam’s Kozhikode

A 40-year-old court employee, V.C. Sunil, was killed in a wild gaur attack at Vilangad, located in Kerala's Kozhikode district, leading to protests from upland farmers' organizations. The farmers accused the Forest department of not preventing recurring human-wildlife conflicts and protecting their agricultural livelihoods. They criticized the functioning of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) and forest watchers, alleging inefficiency in addressing their concerns.

Farmers also pointed out that several senior Forest department officers failed to respond effectively to their issues, citing delays in approving preventive measures due to funding shortages. T.Varghese, a farmer from Vilangad, also accused some farmers' organization leaders of hesitating to strongly protest out of fear of retaliation from Forest officials.

The We Farm upland farmers' collective confirmed that wild gaurs continued to pose a severe threat to residents and tourists in eco-tourism areas, citing past incidents such as the 2024 death of a 70-year-old farmer and the closure of a tourist center after a gaur attacked a woman and her daughter. Farmers' association members emphasized the inadequate compensation for victims' families.

Activists from the Indian Farmers Movement and Farmers Relief Forum are organizing a state-wide protest to demand justice for victims' families and stronger measures to address the issue. Local merchants in Vilangad also supported the protest, demanding stronger actions against aggressive animals, including the possibility of culling dangerous animals.

The Forest department acknowledged the compensation demand for Sunil's family and held discussions with the District Collector regarding farmers' concerns and pending power-fencing projects.