Denied permission to cut trees, hill farmer threaten suicide

A small scale farmer, along with his two children, threatened self-immolation in front of the Forest Office at Munnar on Friday after he was denied permission to cut trees from his homestead to make money for the education of his daughter. 

Mohanan, a native of Singukandam near Chinnakanal, along with his daughter Megha and son Meghnath turned up to the forest office on Friday and poured kerosene all over them threatening to commit suicide. But their bid was foiled by the forest officials. 

"I have no other way. You just come and see my plight," Mohanan, farmer

"I have no other way. You just come and see my plight," the hapless father told the officials who dissuaded him from taking the extreme step. 

When asked why did he bring his children along, he said that there was no one else to take care of them if he died. He had no other means to pay for his daughter's tuition fee. So he requested the Forest Department to allow him to cut the eucalyptus trees from his plot. He owns three acres of land but lost his crops in elephant raids and is facing a threat of debt recovery proceedings from the bank as he is unable to repay the housing loan. 

There are restrictions on felling and sale of timber in the area, but Mohanan wanted the department to grant him special permission considering his plight.