COIMBATORE: The forest department finds itself in a precarious situation of having to balance the demands of the farmers and tribals from the Thadagam-Anaikatti belt.While the farmers in the belt demand that the two wild elephants -- Vinayaka and Chinna Thambi -- be translocated, tribals and environmentalists have begun a campaign to save the elephants from being disturbed. The forest department began their operations to guide away the two wild elephants with kumkis on Saturday night.Just as the forest department brought down their kumkis to guide away the wild elephants, posters shouting “Save Vinayaka and Save Chinna Thambi” began coming up along the Thadagam Road and the Anaikatti Road.“Only farmers want those wild elephants to go away because their farms are getting damaged,” said Joshua A, a school teacher and social activist from Anaikatti.“The elephants are coming to their farms searching for food, because they have cultivated crops like banana and vegetables, which are perfect food for elephants. They are cultivating these crops in cleared forest areas and fringes, which is why elephants, which are usually shy animals, are coming out to look for food,” he said.Environmentalists said translocating the wild elephants was not sustainable and was against animal rights.“Driving these two elephants from this corridor is not sustainable. The solution is to remove encroachments on the elephant corridor and ensure water is flowing freely in all the streams,” said environmentalist Umesh Marudachalam.“The two elephants are also in musth stage thus are likely to behave in an aggressive manner. Any move to translocate them will become dangerous,” he added.The forest department clarified that there were no plans to translocate the elephants as off now. “Translocation of the elephants is complicated and requires an order from the ministry. We just plan to use the four kumkis to guide these two elephants away from human habitation for a few days continuously hoping that it makes them change course,” said chief conservator of forests, Coimbatore, Deepak Shrivastava. “We will see how this plan works for a fortnight but if it does not work, then we will come up with another solution,” he said.Tribals say that Chinna Thambi is usually a loving animal. “That elephant is named “Chinna Thambi” because of his non-aggressive nature. We consider his appearance a good omen,” said a tribal from Anaikatti, Karati. “These two elephants have marked the Thadagam and Anaikatti belt as their territory and are not seasonal visitors. They should not be moved,” said Joshua.

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