Farmers representing the Federation of State Agricultural Organizations protested outside the Aranya Bhavan premises in Mysuru on Thursday. | Photo credit: MA Sriram
Activists from the Federation of State Farmers’ Organizations on Thursday gathered at Aranya Bhavan, the forest department office in Mysuru, to express their opposition to Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre’s decision to allow the resumption of safari operations in Bandipura and Nagarhole forests.
The farmers, led by Federation President Hallikerehundi Bhagyaraj, gathered outside the Aranya Bhavan premises and raised slogans like “Save Bandipur, Save Nagarhole”, “Down with the Forest Minister” and “Down with the State Government”.
Protesters urged the government to withdraw the order and continue the safari ban.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion, Mr. Bhagyaraj said the decision to allow resumption of safari operations was “against farmers, wildlife and forests”. He accused the government of “playing with the lives” of farmers and also alleged that the move was meant to benefit rich capitalists by allowing access to recreational facilities inside the forests.
Bhagyraj claimed that endangered wildlife, affected by safari unrest, often strays into human habitations, leading to man-animal conflicts and even loss of life among farmers and their families. He claimed that there were no reports of such conflicts after the safari was stopped.
Claiming that safari activities were disrupting biodiversity, Mr. Bhagyaraj said the loud sounds and movements of vehicles disoriented the wild animals and pushed them towards nearby villages.
He claimed that the decision to allow the safari was taken without consulting local farmers. He also criticized the district in-charge ministers of Mysuru and Chamarajanagar, terming them ineffective and claiming that they did not consult local stakeholders before making the announcement.
He said that ministers, MLAs and MPs do not live in forest areas or do agriculture on the edge of the forest to be able to understand the risks of wild animals straying into human habitations. “They just visit the forests and come home. It is the farmers living on the edge of the forest who face the consequences,” he said.
He also criticized the government for not taking strict measures to deal with crop losses caused by wild animals and said there was no scientific compensation mechanism. He also termed the existing compensation of ₹20,000 for deaths due to human-animal conflict as unreasonable and demanded a compensation of ₹1 million and a government job for a family member in such cases.
Published – 19 Feb 2026 20:26 IST