The absurdity of giving firearms to farmers

18 Mar 2021

The absurdity of giving firearms to farmers

18 Mar 2021

By Dulki Seethawaka It is not unknown that the present state of affairs relating to every section of the environment in Sri Lanka is in utter chaos. In fact, there is only destruction taking place, whether it is related to the forests or wildlife. The so-called development projects are already causing severe damage to natural conservation. Adding to this nightmare is the new Circular that grants firearms to farmers who own more than one acre of farmland, in order to protect their crops from crop-raiding animals. This can be considered a permit that is presented on a silver platter to poachers and hunters to kill wild animals. Undoubtedly, with time, it will create severe environmental as well as social impacts. There are several important concerns that relate to this new threat, which will soon hover above every animal, as well as every citizen. What forces wild animals to invade farmlands? The firearms are permitted to be used to protect farmlands from wild animals. The question arises as to what forced these animals to enter such farms and cultivations in the first place. The answer is clearly evident. At present, people are clearing thousands of hectares of forest lands all over the country for various purposes such as individual farming, farming for commercial purposes (recent corn farming projects), the settlement of villages, and large-scale development projects, etc. Also, certain travel paths of animals are blocked because of either farms, roads, or structures being built on them. When forest lands are cleared without any proper mechanism and evacuation system, the wild animals that used to live in that forest cover become displaced. Their homes are destroyed, and their herd members are killed. They encounter food shortages, because the forests upon which they fed themselves, are now converted into farmland. They will be attacked by their own species if they try to enter into new territories, as there is a carrying capacity for wildlife in every forest area. Therefore, the only choice left for the displaced animals, is to barge into the farm lands which are adjacent to the forest lands they used to live in, and feed themselves for their survival. Which wild animals are the most vulnerable to the new permit of guns being used by farmers? When these displaced wild animals habitually invade the lands that once belonged to them, the farmers complain that wild animals are causing destruction to their farms and crops, which results in the loss of harvest. The solution arranged by the Government is to permit farmers to have shotguns to protect their own lands from the crop raids caused by wild animals, due to the measures taken by the farmers in the first place. The wild animals that will be easy targets of this include the toque macaque monkey (rilawa), the purple-faced langur monkey (the black monkey), the grizzled giant squirrel (dandu lena – ratufa macroura), wild boar, and porcupine, among many others. Wild boar and porcupine are not new to inhumane killing. In villages, even though they are not sold in open markets, such animals are always subjected to painful deaths using traps, snares, and illegal guns. If we consider the toque macaque monkey and the purple-faced langur monkey, both these monkeys are species endemic to Sri Lanka. Even though their population at the moment may seem quite a lot, given the fact that they only live in our small island, it does not seem to be a large population on the global scale. The grizzled giant squirrel is also considered to be near threatened due to the destruction of habitat. Can we justify such a mass animal massacre? Sri Lanka is a country known for having humanity and compassion, not only for humans, but for all living beings. Buddhism forms the foundation of our country where the ancient chronicles record that the Buddhist monk Arahat Mahinda preached a sermon on Buddhism to King Devanampiya Tissa (247-207 BC) who was trying to hunt a deer, which resulted in converting the King. The excerpts from that sermon are not unknown to Sri Lankan Buddhists: “O great King, the birds of the air and the beasts have as equal a right to live and move about in any part of the land as thou. The land belongs to the people and all living beings; thou art only the guardian of it.” This sermon clearly indicates that the King of the country is not only the guardian of the people, but also the protector of all animals, birds, and other living creatures. Therefore, it is disappointing that the Government which holds the power at present, is making plans to simply wipe out innocent wild animals who intend no harm towards humanity, but seek to find food to survive when their habitats are destroyed. Also, the first out of the five precepts in Buddhism, restricts any Buddhist from killing any living being. The five precepts are of utmost importance to the devotees of the Buddha. Given that the majority in Sri Lanka are Buddhists, the killing of animals to protect crops cannot be vindicated at any cost. Apart from the religious restrictions, these animals are obviously making efforts to create better living conditions, and are simply protecting their homes. The inhumane killing of them would not only cause significant concern for biodiversity, but will also result in the local extinction of some species and the complete extinction of endemic species. Why are these animals important for biodiversity and forest conservation? Each and every animal has an important role to play in biodiversity, and in protecting their habitats. In the evolution of primates, monkeys (toque macaque and purple-faced langur) are given the knowledge to fight for their survival, and their way of fighting can be considered as the most harmless and nature-friendly method. When people cause the mass destruction of forests for farming, monkeys become concerned, and as a result of the evolutionary reaction, they come forward to protect what truly belongs to them – their forests and homes. They come to the areas of wilderness that stand on the edge between the farm lands and protected areas, and shake the trees so that the fruits will fall down. The wild boar and porcupine take up the next job to ensure that the seeds of the fallen fruits are provided a necessary growing medium. They dig the soil and prepare fine fertilisers for the seeds, through their excreta (urine and faeces). Accordingly, these animals try to regenerate the forests with the methods and skills that are known to them by their natural instincts. Will the farmers stop at killing monkeys, wild boar, and porcupines? The Circular in question does not specify which animals can be killed in order to safeguard crops. This lacuna in the law would create a situation that would make it open season on all fauna. The easiest and the most obvious targets would be elephants, leopards, and deer, including sambar. Apart from the killing of smaller animals, the shotguns that are permitted contain silver pellets that can kill deer, including sambar, if shot at close range. However, these pellets are not capable of immediately killing the biggest mammal on earth, the elephant, and most likely, a lot of farmers will shoot elephants using these guns. Injured elephants who would have long, lingering deaths, will extract revenge on humans, and possibly attack any human that comes into their sight. The population of leopards is already of great concern for wildlife officials and environmentalists. Every year, a number of leopards are killed in traps or shot to death for body parts. Deer including sambar are also unlawfully killed for meat. The permitted new guns in the hands of farmers would further increase such poaching. The issues that are already taking place will be unstoppable if this new law is implemented. Can the Government ensure these guns will not be used on any other animal or human beings? Let us put aside the wild animals for a moment and think about the domesticated, captive pets, and homeless animals. There was the recent incident where a retired Sub-Inspector of Police shot the dog of his neighbour. If the people who administer laws cannot be stopped from engaging in such actions, what would be the situation when all the farmers in the country who respectively own more than one acre of farmland end up having guns? What protection is there to shield such animals from harm? People would shoot if a stray dog steals bread from a shop, or a cat sneaks into a neighbourhood house. Can the Government give any assurance that these incidents will not take place? Hurting or killing such animals would simply not be the end. The biggest fear is that people would end up shooting other people, thereby taking the law into their hands. They will end up punishing other people if they do any wrong and would not hesitate to kill if any person opposes them. The rate of domestic violence is already quite high in the country and now, there is no guarantee that it would not result in murdering one’s own family members. The entire community would be shaken up and it would be impossible to resolve the number of crimes that would keep rising. What example are we setting for the future generation? Imagine the mindset of children who see their father carrying a carcass of a dead animal everyday to home, which he has killed in his farm. There is a question as to whether such children will be compassionate towards animals when they grow up. Let alone animals, there is no guarantee that these children who have become used to watching pain, suffering, and bloodshed, will have any gentle emotions left when they grow up. They are likely to be emotionless murderers who can kill any animal or human in the blink of an eye. This is the same situation that has happened in the US. We have seen how school and university children turn up with guns and cause mass annihilation in the respective premises. Such acts are always caused using guns that the Government has permitted to be kept for the sake of one’s protection. It would not be a surprise for Sri Lanka to end up facing unfortunate mass murders like in the US very soon, if this Circular succeeds in passing as an Act. What can we do to address the main issue of the loss of harvest? As per the accusation made by the farmers, is crop raiding by wild animals the prime reason for the loss of harvest? This question is highly debatable. The first concern is whether these farmers have in the first place conquered forests and obtained illegal forest lands for fields. If so, can they complain about the wild animals who have lost their habitat? If these animals try to thrive in this race for survival, is that such a horrendous crime for which they deserve to be killed? It should be clear that having more and more farmland is not the solution to have a bigger harvest. With the technologies that are already followed in other countries, the best solution is to get the maximum harvest from a small plot of land. There are new vegetations and new methods that provide more crops. There are types of plants that withstand adverse weather conditions and give a harvest within a short span of time. The Government should focus on introducing these solutions and distributing such knowledge among farmers, not firearms. This world does not only belong to humans. We can raise our voice against injustice, but what about the animals who cannot express themselves? What right do we have to decide when we can take away the lives of animals? Human beings are not the owners of animals. We are just a part of nature, like every other living being. Our responsibility as the present generation, is to protect our world for the future generations that are yet to come. Hence, whatever decisions we take today regarding the environment is going to affect the future. In conclusion, the Circular to permit firearms to farmers is simply absurd. Instead of resolving issues, this verdict is going to create a new set of much complicated problems which would be beyond the capacity of the Government to fathom. Therefore, the relevant authorities should reconsider the decision and look at the matters from a different perspective. They should find more suitable, timely and humane solutions which can still be helpful after years, for the human-animal conflict. The attempts of the Government to come up with convenient and quick answers, would not help either humans or animals. (The writer is an Attorney-At-Law and environmental researcher)

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The absurdity of giving firearms to farmers

The absurdity of giving firearms to farmers

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