A prolonged peaceful protest by villagers in Chhattisgarh's Raigarh district erupted into severe violence on Saturday, resulting in significant injuries to police personnel, arson, and a major law and order situation. The clash occurred in the Tamnar region, where residents of 14 villages have been agitating for over two weeks against a coal block project.
From Blockade to Bloodshed: The Escalation
For 15 days, villagers had been staging a sit-in at the coal handling plant chowk outside a private company's gate in Tamnar block. They were protesting what they call a "fake" environmental public hearing for the Gare Pelma coal block. This blockade had successfully halted all coal traffic in the area.
On Saturday morning, police arrived with a heavy deployment—two buses and over ten four-wheelers—to persuade the protesters to clear the road. Officials attempted to counsel the villagers. During this operation, police detained 35–40 protesters, including local leader Radheshyam Sharma. Following the detentions, coal traffic slowly began to resume.
However, the fragile calm shattered near Khuruslenga village. A heavy coal-laden vehicle allegedly hit a local villager on a bicycle, seriously injuring him. Activist groups claimed the man was crushed under the truck. This news spread like wildfire through the already charged crowd, reigniting anger and sparking the violent confrontation.
Violence Erupts: SHO Attacked, Vehicles Torched
The situation quickly spiraled out of control. Tamnar Station House Officer (SHO) Kamla Pusam, who had reached the spot with her team to pacify the crowd, was surrounded by an enraged mob, which included many women. Disturbing video clips from the scene show protesters, including women, pushing, kicking, and hitting the officer with sticks until she fainted.
In a contrasting moment, some of the same women were later seen giving water to the shaken officer. The violence did not stop there. Protesters began pelting stones, injuring several more policemen. Multiple police personnel had to be evacuated and hospitalized.
The crowd's fury also turned towards vehicles. An ambulance, a car, and at least two buses—one linked to the company and another to the administration—were set on fire.
Administration's Response and Ongoing Tension
Authorities scrambled to contain the volatile situation. As a precautionary measure, the administration ordered a power cut in the affected area. Additional police forces, including reserve units from Urdana police lines, were rushed to Tamnar. Movement into the villages was heavily restricted, with security personnel sealing off entry and exit points.
Senior officials, including Raigarh SP Divyang Patel and Collector Mayank Chaturvedi, were present at the spot. Bilaspur Range IGP Sanjeev Shukla stated that while the situation remained tense, it was under control with the deployment of over 200 police personnel. He confirmed that cases of rioting, assault on public servants, and arson are likely to be registered.
The Chhattisgarh Bachao Andolan, in a statement, termed the incident "unfortunate" but squarely blamed the state administration. The group alleged that the arrest of protesters and the coal dumper incident triggered the flare-up, accusing successive governments of using police force to crush democratic protests in mining areas across the state.
