With the support of dozens of residents and farmers in Barrackpore, farmer Ricky Gangadhar has started a petition to rid the community of hundreds of bison that roam the streets at night.
Gangadhar, who says he was shot last Tuesday after speaking out about the animals, intends to take the petition to Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat on Monday to ask for his intervention.
He is hoping Rambharat will order the animals owner to secure them or order the ministry to remove the animals from the streets if the owner does not take responsibility for them.
When the T&T Guardian visited him at his Ramsabad Trace, Barrackpore home yesterday, Gangadhar broke down in tears, as he expressed frustration over the situation.
He says he was attacked by a relative of the animals owner because meetings with other farmers were held at his home, where the problem of the bison was discussed.
Gangadhar’s story first broke on Ian Alleyne’s Crime Watch earlier this week as he went to Alleyne to seek justice.
“I was in my garden spraying with the spray can on my back when this guy, who I know very well, came on my land and he started talking to me,” he recalled. “He was asking if I would plough some land for him but same time the breeze blow a rag off his hand and I see him holding a gun.”
After a scuffle in which he said he feared for his life, Gangadhar escaped.
Yesterday, Gangadhar had many questions over the alleged lack of action from the Barrackpore Police Station.
“It is decades these people have bison roaming through the village, destroying crops, property and frightening people, it has to stop sometime.”
He is confident that he will be able to amass 500 signatures by Monday.
In Ramsingh Trace, farmers Sanjay Bridgemohan and Beepath Ramkissoon reiterated Gangadhar’s statements.
Ramkissoon said, “I have five acres I usually plant, but because of the same thing with the bison, I hardly plant anything this year. It is very difficult to plant and work so hard and the animals just trampling over everything.”
I lost about $20,000 in one night.”
A short distance away, in Seebalack Branch Trace, residents also complained about the bison.
Mechanic Baldath Sonilal said the animals attacked his clients and damaged one vehicle.
“I have customers afraid to come by me because of that, I have to lose business.”
Resident Lilawatee Rajkumar said she lives in fear that the animals will attack her.
“When I have to go to work in the morning, I have to pay a taxi to come all the way inside this road and pick me up, cause I ‘fraid to walk out,” she said. “If I can’t get nobody to come in, cause taxis ‘fraid to work inside too, I does walk up that hill and run down the other side, cause I know the day them things pick up with me, that is it.”