On May 12, 2021, the residents of Silger village in Sukma district learnt about a new security camp that was allegedly secretly set up near their village overnight the previous day. The residents gathered at the Tarrem police station to oppose the security camp, where the police lathicharged them. By the next day, news of the camp spread far and wide and at least 5,000 people from about 40 adjoining villages came together to oppose the camp.
The villagers fear that the establishment of a police camp in the area will lead to harassment, killings and rapes by security forces and will restrict their movement. Besides, they use the land to graze cattle and also to collect minor forest produce for their livelihood. According to them, any development activity on the land needs to be undertaken in consultation with them as per the Provisions of the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996.
"The land where the camp is built is my ancestral property, and we have been farming on this land, but because of the camp, we have lost our livelihood, and my family is now on the verge of starvation," Korsa Soma, a resident of Silger, told LCW.
Instead of a security camp, the protesters have instead demanded basic infrastructure in their villages. “Do we need a police camp? We need a road, a school, an anganwadi, a hospital and a hand pump,” said Sodi Dula, one of the protesters.
From May 12 to June 16, the village residents gathered together every morning to protest peacefully and to try and have a dialogue with the authorities. But the CRPF and the District Reserve Guard Forces resorted to lathicharge, forcing them to retreat from the protest site. Many were seriously injured.
The protests turned violent on May 17 when security forces resorted to lathicharge and teargas on peaceful protesters. The angry villagers clashed with the police, who opened indiscriminate fire. Three persons, including a minor, died on the spot, and a pregnant woman succumbed to bullet wounds later. Many others were seriously injured. While the protesters claimed that the security forces opened fire to bring an end to their protest, the latter alleged that Naxal cadres, in the garb of protesting villagers, were among those who attacked the Silger camp with stones and gun shots, forcing the police to retaliate.
According to a fact-finding report of the People's Union for Civil Liberties, on June 7, 2021, the villagers learnt that those who were seriously injured in the police firing in May and were hospitalised were being kept at the hospital under police orders despite the doctors advising to discharge them. Around the same time, the police allegedly picked up seven persons from Paralgatta village. On July 18, 2021, the Moolniwasi Bachao Manch held a press conference in Jagdalpur reiterating that the protests will not stop till the state meets all their demands.
Despite the violence and deaths of their own, the people continue to protest at the camp site, taking turns. They demand the retreat of security forces from their area and justice for the dead.
On January 19, 2022, youth activists who were on their way to meet the state governor, were reportedly dragged out of a bus, their documents were confiscated and they were forcibly sent to a quarantine centre. While the police claim they were detained for violating Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, imposed in the region due to COVID-19, activists alleged it was an attempt to weaken their protest.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand to get back acquired land
Demand for legal recognition of land rights
Demand to retain/protect access to common land/resources
Refusal to give up land for the project
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Justice for four protesters killed in police firing, demand for a school and hospital
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Grazing, Residential area, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Forced evictions/dispossession of land
Non-implementation/violation of PESA
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Violation of free prior informed consent
Non-consultation with stakeholders
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
No
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Arrest/detention/imprisonment
Killing
Lathicharge/teargas/pellets
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Yes
Reported Details of the Violation:
On the fifth day of protests, the police opened teargas and fire on unarmed protesters, killing three persons on the spot, including a minor; a pregnant woman succumbed to bullet wounds later. Many others were seriously injured. On January 19, 2022, youth activists who were on their way to meet the state governor were reportedly dragged out of a bus, their documents were confiscated and they were forcibly sent to a quarantine centre.
Date of Violation
May 16, 2021
Location of Violation
Silger Camp Protest Site
Chhattisgarh
Kumar Sambhav is a social entrepreneur and award-winning journalist, leading innovative research in accountability investigations. He is the founder of Land Conflict Watch and is currently working as India Research Lead with Princeton University’s Digital Witness Lab.
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