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Cruel Commies
torture animals too
Brahma Naik
 The Communists in Kerala do
not spare even animals. In order, to settle their political scores,
they ordered the closure of the Parassinikadavu Snake Park run by
Pappinissery Vishachikitstsa Society headed by one-time ideological
bedfellow and CMP leader Shri M V Raghavan. The forest officials who
enforced the closure of the park claimed that they were taking this
step to protect the animals in the park and to check violation of
the Wildlife Act. And in the process they killed at least 27 animals
in the park. According to the Cultural Minister of the State, Shri
T K Ramakrishnan, the forest department had initiated the action to
close down the park to "check violation of the Wildlife Act". But
the real motive is anybody's guess. The animals in the park were at
the receiving end ever since Shri Raghavan parted ways with the CPM
and started his own political outfit. On February 10, 1993, the Marxists
goons barged into the park and burned down cages of snakes, killed
rare species of animals. The reason--- Raghavan was the president
of the society.
The forest officials
descended on the park in the wee hours of Sunday (December10) and
started stuffing the animals inside gunny bags. Crocodiles were tied
to bamboo poles with their mouths tightly shut by chains. The process
of putting the animals in cages was done in a very unprofessional
and careless manner. King cobras need to be kept in sub-zero temperatures
were kept in plastic bucket with some ice cubes in it. About 18 crocodiles,
most of them newborn died of suffocation and rare birds like white-necked
storks also got killed. While the process was on , the Payyannur Chief
Judicial Magistrate intervened and asked the forest officials not
to move the animals out of the premises of the park till the High
Court gives a verdict to that effect. Meanwhile, giving a big blow
to the forest officials, the Kerala High Court intervened and asked
the forest officials to restore the animals to enable them to continue
in the same habitat in which they were living.
The Division
Bench comprising Chief Justice K K Usha and Justice Kurian Joseph,
also directed that the process of the release of the animals to the
park could be started forthwith so that the risk factor could be averted.
Lashing out at the State Government, Minister of State for Railways
Shri O Rajagopal said that it was highly unfortunate that the hapless
creatures were being used to vent their anger against Shri Raghavan.
By doing this to the animals they have exposed themselves the level
they could stoop down. State Forest Minister C K Nanu said that he
was not aware of the decision to raid the park. Even Chief conservator
of forests said that he came to know about it only from newspaper
reports. Then who has ordered the raid? Many other questions remain
unanswered. Why the forest officials showed so much enthusiasm in
closing down the park? Who was responsible for the death of the animals?
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