New Delhi, Sept. 15 -- Kerala recently unveiled a draft law, the Wildlife Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to fundamentally alter how conservation is practiced. The draft law's release comes even as human-wildlife conflicts have surged across Kerala's hills, forests, and farmlands, increasing anxieties in its rural households.

But, the new draft law, pitched as a response to mounting distress, has raised profound questions. Can Kerala secure its farmers without endangering its forests? Can it address immediate safety concerns without undermining national conservation frameworks painstakingly built over five decades? And crucially, does this bill represent bold pragmatism or dangerous expediency?

Shift towards decentralised...