Farmers protest state’s move to declare Male Mahadeshwara Sanctuary as Tiger Reserve
Chamarajnagar: Hundreds of farmers from Hanur taluk staged a strong protest on Monday against the Karnataka government’s proposal to declare the Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve.
The protest, led by office-bearers of the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS), began with a massive bike rally from Ramapura in Hanur taluk, where participants raised slogans and carried placards depicting tigers to register their opposition to the move. The rally passed through Hanur, Kollegal, Yalanduru, and Santhemarahalli, before concluding at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Chamarajnagar.
Farmers argued that converting the sanctuary into a tiger reserve would severely impact their livelihoods, restricting access to forest resources and agricultural activities in nearby villages.
The state government’s plan follows a series of tiger deaths in the Male Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary, which has drawn serious concern from the authorities. Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre has directed the Forest Department to submit a detailed report on the deaths and the overall ecological condition of the sanctuary. The government is reportedly treating the matter as a high priority, considering the repeated loss of tigers in the area.
According to sources, forest officials are in the process of finalizing the report, which will determine the next course of action.
KRRS district vice-president Gowdegowda, taluk office-bearer Palaniswami, and local farmer leader Venkatesh were among those who led the rally. The protesters submitted a memorandum to the district administration urging the state government to drop the proposal, warning that declaring the area as a tiger reserve would force thousands of farmers to abandon their ancestral lands.
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Mangaluru: Teacher booked for allegedly beating student in school
Vittla (Dakshina Kannada): A case has been registered at the Vittla Police Station against a school teacher on charges of seriously assaulting a student with a cane at an English-medium school in Idkidu village here near Vittla in Dakshina Kannada district.
According to the complaint, the student, who attends the school regularly, had gone to school as usual. Around 2 pm, the child’s parents received a call from the school office stating that their child had allegedly disturbed other students. The school informed them that when the teacher scolded the student over the issue, the child became frightened and urinated, and the parents were asked to come and take the child home.
The parents reportedly told the school staff that no one was at home at the time and requested that the child be sent home in an autorickshaw.
After returning home, the student told the parents that a teacher identified as Istikaar had beaten him severely on the hand with a cane. The child also said that he urinated out of fear while the assault was taking place.
When the parents contacted the teacher over the phone to question him about the incident, he allegedly responded in a dismissive manner.
Following this, the parents lodged complaints with the Vittla Police Station and the Child Development Project Office, seeking justice and strict action against the teacher for allegedly assaulting the child without any valid reason.
Police have registered a case against the teacher and have taken up further investigation.
