Manyam Farmers Want Kumkis to Protect Crops From Elephants
Their main demand is to deploy trained kumki elephants from Karnataka, as promised by Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan
Visakhapatnam: Tribal farmers of Parvathipuram Manyam district, under the banner of CPM, staged a protest in Komarada mandal headquarters on Sunday demanding protection of their crops from stray elephants in the region.
Their main demand is to deploy trained kumki elephants from Karnataka, as promised by Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan, to relocate the stray elephants currently roaming in the area to forest reserves or zoological parks. The protesters feel this is crucial for protecting farmers and their crops, restoring security in villages, and enabling agricultural activities to continue without fear.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, CPM Komarada mandal convener Kollu Sambamurthy said elephants have been straying into Parvathipuram Manyam district from neighbouring Odisha for the past nine years. They have been destroying crops and farms while also endangering lives.
Sambamurthy criticised the previous YSRC government for neglecting the issue. Although he acknowledged that the NDA alliance government had taken proactive steps, such as arranging for Kumki elephants, he expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding their actual deployment in the Manyam region.
The CPM leader accused both the ruling and opposition leaders of negligence and urged officials to provide a specific timeline for relocation of the stray elephants. He warned that if their demands are not met, farmers across the district would initiate large-scale protests.
Leaders of the Vyavasaya Karmika Sangham, including R. Sivuni Naidu, joined the tribal farmers in the protest.