The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : 3 shepherds, 30 sheep crushed to death near Udumalpet

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Thursday, Feb 28, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

3 shepherds, 30 sheep crushed to death near Udumalpet

Staff Reporter

Protest against ban on grazing in forest; forest range office picketed

WE WANT JUSTICE: Members of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam with hundreds of cattle thronged the Forest Range Office at Udumalpet on Wednesday in protest against the ban on grazing in the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary.

UDUMALPET: Three shepherds and a flock of 30 sheep were crushed to death when a speeding lorry hit them from behind at Myvadi Pirivu on the Udumalpet-Palani Highway in the early hours of Wednesday.

According to police, Rangasamy (40) and R. Mani (35) of Periyakalaiamuthur; and Lakshmanan (35) Balasamudram, near Palani, were on their way to Udumalpet to participate in a picketing organised by the Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam protesting against the denial of permission by Forest officials for grazing in the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, which was recently upgraded as Tiger Reserve. Another shepherd and 25 sheep were hurt. The driver of the lorry was arrested.

Agitation

A group of shepherds on the fringes of the Western Ghats and members of Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam (TNVS), a farmers’ arm of Communist Party of India (Marxist), on Wednesday thronged the Forest Range Office here, protesting against the restrictions on grazing in the forests for the last two months. With a flock of 500 sheep and over 200 cows, the protesters raised slogans against the ban on grazing inside the Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary.

Shepherds and farmers from Pollachi, Udumalpet taluks of Coimbatore district and Palani taluk of neighbouring Dindigul district took part in the agitation.

Led by S.R. Madhusoodhanan, State deputy secretary of TNVS, the protestors said the authorities had been denying the licence for grazing for the last three months since its upgrading as Tiger Reserve.

The farmers demanded renewal of licences for grazing, the right which they had been enjoying for decades.

No permission

They also complained that the cattle would suffer if the authorities denied permission as enough alternative sources for foraging was not available.

When contacted Forest officials said they could not extend licences for grazing since the sanctuary was made as Tiger Reserve and there were clear instructions to deny the entry of cattle inside the forest as risk for wild animals contracting diseases from the cattle.

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