Kisan Sabha welcome’s government’s decision to reconstitute Himachal Pradesh Wildlife Board
We Grow Food, But Who Will Protect Us – Farmers Demand a Voice in Wildlife Matters
Dr Kuldeep Singh Tanwar, President of the Himachal Kisan Sabha—the state’s largest farmers’ organisation—has welcomed the government’s move to reconstitute the Himachal Pradesh Wildlife Board. However, there is a sense of unease rather than celebration. While acknowledging the step, he raised a deeply concerning question: why are farmers—the very people most affected—not included in decisions that directly impact their safety and livelihoods?
What the Farmers Want – A Human Story, Not Just Policies
- A seat for the real victims
The Sabha points out that it is deeply unfair that the largest farmers’ body has no non-government representative on the new Wildlife Board. “No one understands the problem better than us. We lose our crops, our livestock, sometimes our loved ones. Include us.” - Fair compensation – not peanuts, not delays
Farmers are demanding an urgent hike in compensation for:
· Death or injury from wildlife attacks
· Crop destruction
· Livestock killings
· Medical treatment costs
“The current rates are a joke. A farmer who loses his entire season’s crop to wild boars gets almost nothing. We need real money, based on today’s market prices – not what was decided twenty years ago.”
- Monkeys are in Schedule-5, but what about the rest?
Thanks to years of struggle by the Kisan Sabha and the Kheti Bachao Andolan, monkeys were moved to Schedule-5 of the Wildlife Protection Act, allowing population control. That helped a little. But now –
· Wild boars are rampaging through fields.
· Peacocks destroy newly sown seeds.
· Langurs have become aggressive.
· And in border districts like Sirmour, Solan, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, and Kangra, nilgai (blue bulls) are devastating farmland.
“It feels like we solved one problem, and five new monsters appeared.”
- Over 100 bite cases every single day
Hospitals across Himachal report more than 100 monkey and stray dog bite cases daily. The Sabha is demanding a state-wide, real-time data collection and an emergency action plan. “These are not statistics – these are our mothers, fathers, and children running for their lives.”
An Urgent Request to the Chief Minister
The Kisan Sabha has proposed that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who chairs the Wildlife Board, immediately call a meeting of:
· Farmers’ organizations
· Wildlife experts
· Forest officials
· Local representatives
“Include farmers in the conversation. Hear their voices. Together, let’s work towards solutions that not only protect wildlife but also safeguard the families who have nurtured and sustained this land for generations,” said Dr Tanwar.
