Now Reading: Two-day strike in TN’s Gudalur after suspected tiger attacks kill two men
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Two-day strike in TN’s Gudalur after suspected tiger attacks kill two men
Two-day strike in TN’s Gudalur after suspected tiger attacks kill two men
Political parties, traders and transport operators in Tamil Nadu's Gudalur constituency have called a two-day general strike on August 27 and 28, demanding the Forest Department take stronger action against wild animal…
Political parties, traders and transport operators in Tamil Nadu's Gudalur constituency have called a two-day general strike on August 27 and 28, demanding the Forest Department take stronger action against wild animal attacks. The protest follows the deaths of two men in suspected tiger attacks at Lauriston in O-Valley Town Panchayat. Representatives of the BJP, Congress, VCK, CPI, CPI(M), NTK, DMDK and SDPI agreed on the shutdown at a meeting at the DMK MLA's office on Sunday, also seeking the release of activists arrested after an earlier protest.
Grocery shops will stay closed, auto-rickshaws and taxis are to stay off the roads, and resorts in Masinagudi are likely to suspend operations. The Gudalur Viyabarikal Sangam said estate workers will join the protest and have decided not to send children to school. DMK Gudalur town secretary S. Ilanchezhian alleged the Forest Department failed to set traps soon after the first attack on August 9, saying that timely action could have prevented the second death. He demanded the tiger be eliminated as attacks occurred near residential areas.
Seven people were arrested after bottles were allegedly thrown during an August 21 protest, injuring two police personnel. Revenue officials have yet to hold talks with the parties, Gudalur Revenue Divisional Officer S.K. Gunasekaran said discussions would begin after permission from Nilgiris Collector Lakshmi Bhavya Taneeru. The Forest Department has increased cages from six to eight and camera traps to 60. District Forest Officer P. Devaraj said pugmarks and scat indicate the tiger's presence, though it has not been sighted directly.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Gudalur strike comes after years of human-wildlife conflict in the Nilgiris, where the reserve forest corridor sees regular leopard and tiger movement into plantation areas. The core demand, hunting a protected Schedule-I animal, will require approval from the Chief Wildlife Warden, as only the National Tiger Conservation Authority can permit lethal action under the Wildlife Protection Act. The two deaths have escalated a simmering local tension: the DMK MLA’s office hosted a meeting bringing together parties as ideologically opposed as the BJP and CPI(M), an unusual coalition. The next signal is the Nilgiris Collector’s decision on whether to authorise talks, likely within a week, as the Revenue Divisional Officer has said he awaits that permission.
Source: telanganatoday.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
