Police Injured, Vehicles Set Ablaze in Raigarh Coal Mine Protest
A peaceful sit-in demonstration against a coal mining project in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district escalated into severe violence on Saturday, resulting in multiple police injuries and the destruction of government and company property. The incident occurred in the Tamnar area, where protesters from 14 affected villages clashed with security forces.
From Peaceful Sit-in to Violent Confrontation
According to the district administration, villagers from the Gare Pelma Sector-I coal block area have been staging a sit-in protest at the CHP chowk in Libra village since December 12. Their agitation was against a public hearing held for the project on December 8 at Dhaurabhatha, which they claim violated norms.
On Saturday morning, around 300 protesters gathered and allegedly blocked a road. Senior revenue and police officials intervened around 10 am and persuaded them to return to their designated protest site tents. However, the crowd swelled to nearly 1,000 people as individuals from nearby villages joined in.
Despite repeated appeals for peace via loudspeakers, the situation deteriorated around 2:30 pm. The crowd broke police barricades and attacked personnel with stones and sticks.
Widespread Damage and Injuries
The violence led to serious injuries for several police officials. Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Anil Vishwakarma, Tamnar police station in-charge Kamla Pusam, and a constable were among those seriously hurt. Several other policemen, including women personnel, also sustained injuries.
The mob then set fire to a police bus, a jeep, and an ambulance, damaging several other government vehicles. Subsequently, the protesters moved towards the coal handling plant (CHP) of Jindal Power Limited. They forced their way inside, torched a conveyor belt, two tractors, and other vehicles, and vandalised the office premises.
Even the arrival of local legislator from Lailunga Vidyawati Sidar, Raigarh Collector Mayank Chaturvedi, and Superintendent of Police Divyang Patel failed to immediately pacify the crowd. Stone-pelting and another arson incident were reported inside the CHP plant later.
Administration's Response and Underlying Grievances
Raigarh Collector Mayank Chaturvedi stated that the protest had been peaceful for the past 15 days, with the administration providing necessary facilities. He alleged that around 2 to 2:30 pm, some anti-social elements provoked the protesters, leading to the stone-pelting. He described the crowd as aggressive and seemingly leaderless, complicating dialogue efforts.
Villagers, however, presented a different narrative. They stated their primary demand is the cancellation of the proposed mining project. They alleged the situation turned tense after police attempted to remove them from the demonstration site on Saturday morning. One protester, Rajesh Singh Markam of Kasdol village, filed a complaint with the Raigarh SP, claiming threats from the local Station House Officer.
Videos circulating on social media showed a woman police officer being assaulted by women in the crowd, with others trying to shield her.
Chhattisgarh Congress president Deepak Baij condemned the clash, blaming the state government's "stubbornness." He accused the government of forcibly displacing villagers and tribals for coal mining and claimed a police lathi-charge at the behest of industrialists provoked the villagers' retaliation.
Police have stated the situation is now tense but under control, with heightened security in the area. The condition of the injured is reported as stable, with some shifted to Raigarh for better treatment. The administration is attempting to identify responsible individuals from the crowd to restore dialogue.
