Instructions to ryots to stop rearing excess cattle whips up din

Mysuru: The recent circular issued by Cauvery wild life sanctuary officers instructing farmers not to rear excess cattles has created controversy in Chamarajanagara district. The recent circular pasted in few buildings in Gopinatham in Hanur taluk of the district has made farmers furious. As Chamarajanagara is a border district of state and Tamil Nadu and is labelled as one of the most backward district of state. Most of the farming community is comprising small and marginal farmers. Thousands of farmers took up dairy farming to earn livelihood.

'' The circular shocked us as thousands of farmers availed self-employment and livelihood through dairy farming. The state government is encouraging farmers to rear cattle by offering subsidy loans and other incentives'' Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha (KRRS) Hanur taluk president Honnur Prakash told reporters. He said it is inevitable for farmers to rear cattles for livelihood, the officials should encourage this but they are demoralizing us, he alleged. He warned of severe protest against forest officials if they does not with draw the controversial circular within next 7 days.

' According to Wild Life Act domestic animals should not be sent inside sanctuaries , the sanctuary has number of tigers , if the tigers kill cattle it would be loss for farmers '' Cauvery wild life sanctuary Deputy Conservator of Forests L Nandish told this paper.

' Thousands of wild lives in forest may get infected disease with contact of domestic animals how to find and treat them '? he questioned. Cattles are easy pray for tigers. If the tigers get addicted to cattle pray then they will keep coming to villages in search of cattle. By thinking of all we have asked farmers not to rear excess cattle' he said. He clarified that they are not against rearing of cattles, at the same time they have to protect wild lives.