Kochi: The Syro Malabar Media Commission expresses deep concern over the increasing human-wildlife conflict in Kerala and welcomes the state government’s move to bring forward an amendment to the Wildlife Protection Act. The Commission emphasizes that the lives and livelihoods of highland farmers, who bear the brunt of recurring wild animal attacks, must be safeguarded through decisive legislation that ensures their right to defend themselves and their property.
According to state records, more than 900 people have lost their lives and nearly 9,000 have been injured due to wild animal attacks over the past decade. Farmers along the forest fringes are living in constant fear as elephants, wild boars, monkeys and other animals frequently invade their cultivated lands. The Commission notes that despite the state’s various protective measures such as solar fencing and rapid response teams, attacks continue to claim lives and destroy livelihoods.
The proposed amendment seeks to empower local forest officials with authority to take immediate action against animals posing threats inside human settlements. It also suggests reclassifying certain species like bonnet macaques and declaring wild boars as vermin for limited periods to enable better control. The Commission stresses that such measures must be enacted through strong and comprehensive laws, free from loopholes that cause delays or denials of justice for affected families.
The Commission highlights that the concept of sovereign immunity must be assured to farmers, giving them the supreme right to defend their lives and cultivated land from wild animals that intrude and destroy. This right is not intended to encourage indiscriminate killings but to protect human dignity, food security, and community stability.
The Syro Malabar Media Commission urges both the state and central governments to set aside political differences and work together to bring about swift legislation that balances human safety with ecological responsibility. At the same time, it calls upon all political parties to rise above partisan interests and to stand with the farmers who are carrying the weight of this crisis.
The Commission reaffirms that the Church stands with the suffering farming communities of the high ranges, prays for the safety of families who live under constant threat, and appeals for urgent, humane, and effective solutions that respect both human life and God’s creation.