Chhattisgarh tribals, villagers hold mass rally against mining, deforestation in Surguja

RAIPUR: A massive rally and public meeting of thousands of villagers was held in Ambikapur town on Friday in protest of large-scale mining projects and alleged violations of Gram Sabha rights across Surguja division of Chhattisgarh. The mobilisation of tribal groups, farmers’ organisations and environmentalists was convened by the Hasdeo Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan (CBA) and allied groups including tribals, farmers, workers, women and students, united against the destruction of water, forests, land, biodiversity and the environment. In their appeal, they stated that generations of people in the region have survived on jal–jungle–zameen (water–forest–land), but are now facing forced displacement as coal, bauxite, graphite, lithium and other mining projects expand from Koriya, Balrampur, Raigarh, Korba.“Chhattisgarh is a Fifth Schedule state. The Forest Rights Act and PESA are in force here and must be followed in letter and spirit. No land acquisition will be accepted without Gram Sabha consent,” said Bhanupratap Singh, former chairperson of the State Scheduled Tribes Commission.Hasdeo Bachao activist Sunita Porte reminded the gathering that the Chhattisgarh assembly had unanimously resolved in July 2022 to cancel all coal mines in Hasdeo, and that the Wildlife Institute of India recommended in 2021 that the entire Hasdeo landscape be kept mining-free to curb human–elephant conflict. “Despite this, the state has recommended the new Kente Extension coal project, which will require cutting more than six lakh trees,” she said, alleging that forged Gram Sabha resolutions were used to secure forest clearance for Parsa coal block and that tree felling continues “under police protection”.Villagers from Mainpat warned that fresh bauxite leases in the plateau — a key tourism and water catchment zone — could trigger a severe drinking water crisis in Ambikapur and nearby areas. Residents from graphite-survey villages in Wadrafnagar block alleged that officials are pushing ahead with exploration “despite Gram Sabha opposition and even threatening people with jail”.“The Adivasi is the real owner of the forest and land, and the Constitution protects us. Using the Coal Bearing Areas Act to snatch our rights is nothing but open loot,” said Babulal from Madanpur, affected by the Gare Palma IV coal block.The memorandum to Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai reiterated demands for cancelling forest and environmental clearances for Kente Extension, stopping land acquisition and surveys for projects in Madanpur and Amera, scrapping new bauxite mines in Mainpat, halting graphite surveys in Balrampur villages, withdrawing “false” criminal cases against protesters and enforcing prior informed Gram Sabha consent in all Fifth Schedule areas. The letter warns that destruction of the ecologically sensitive Hasdeo Aranya landscape has already put the Minimata Hasdeo Bango dam at risk and sharply escalated human–elephant conflict, with “hundreds of people killed under elephant attacks”.“If our demands are ignored, we will come back in thousands and start an indefinite movement,” protesters warned, as slogans of “Stop cutting our forests” and “Stop looting Chhattisgarh’s mineral wealth” echoed through the town.