KOZHIKODE: The Vadakkanad Grama Samrakshana Samithy announced the end of the 11-day long indefinite hunger strike of village women at Sulthan Bathery, here, on Thursday. The decision was taken after discussions with forest officials who showed the protestors the order to rehabilitate the elephants in Vadakkanad and also assured them that steps would be executed within 10 days.
It is to be recalled that the women of the village resumed the agitation on May 20 when the forest department failed to keep the promises earlier given to the action council before ending the first phase of the agitation led by the women. Though the CPM backed out from the second phase of the agitation, the killing of a tribal kid by an elephant on Wednesday, had forced the party to jump into action, staging protests.
Action council chairman Fr Joby Mukkattukavunkal told DC that though there was some discussion on ending the agitation on Wednesday after the forest department issued an order to capture and relocate the animal, the final decision was taken today.” Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (North) Ranjan Kumar himself came down to the agitation venue in front of the office of the wildlife warden and assured us that the decisions would be executed in a time-bound manner,” he added.
“We salute the spirit of the six women who continued the indefinite hunger strike two at a time, even after police arresting and removing them one batch after another, when their health condition worsened”, he said. The agitation of farmers organized under the banner of Vadakkanadu Grama Samrakshana Samithy began on March 16 in front of the Wayanad Wildlife Warden’s office at Sulthan Bathery. The action council had enjoyed the backing of the entire people of the village which includes three wards (1, 2 , 3 ) of the Noolppuzha village panchayat which has 2000 households and more than 6,000 population, the most affected with the elephant raids. The second phase was started by women on May 20.
