Amendments in Wildlife Act to increasing Onam bonus, Kerala govt's slew of popular moves ahead of polls

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government's decision to initiate amendments in the Wildlife Protection Act by including provision for killing wild animals attacking people seems to be yet another strategic move by the Pinarayi Vijayan government in Kerala as the local body and Assembly polls are approaching.

The decision to hold Global Ayyappa conclave as well as similar meets of various sections, including the minority communities, disbursement of social welfare pension dues to over 60 lakh people during the Onam festival season and increasing the Onam festival bonus and allowance to the state government employees were also considered as a pre-poll strategies of the government to counter anti-incumbency factors.

Ahead of the 2021 assembly elections also the first Pinarayi Vijayan government initiated a slew of measures like enhancing the rapport with Christian leaders, which indeed benefitted the party in the elections.

Man-animal conflict has been a burning issue affecting 75 of the 140 assembly constituencies in the state. The back to back incidents of loss of human lives and damage to crops in wild animal attacks had triggered strong resentment among the people living in the affected areas. Many church leaders, who represent the high-rage farmers and residents close to forest areas, have openly expressed their resentment. Hence it will be a key issue in the coming elections.

For this reason, the state government's decision to amend the Wildlife Protection Act, including the provision to shift monkeys from schedule I to schedule II may help the CPM-led Left Democratic Front enhance the rapport with those aggrieved over man-animal conflicts, even as wildlife activists are skeptical about the amendments getting cleared.

Similarly, the decision to amend the Kerala Forest Act for relaxing the restrictions on selling sandal trees on private lands has been a long pending demand of the people having sandal trees on their premises.

While the government's decision to hold Global Ayyappa conclave was widely interpreted as an attempt to woo the Hindu vote banks, the government is now planning similar meetings of various sections, including the minority communities, to discuss the issues of those sectors.