Villagers protest against setting up of police camp in Chhattisgarh

Hundreds of villagers have been protesting in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada Nahari village for the last 38 days.

Dantewada: Hundreds of villagers have been protesting in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada Nahari village for the last 38 days. The villagers, have been protesting against the setting up of a police camp. The villagers levelled serious allegations against the police and also intensified the protests and held a rally on Thursday.

Reportedly, a police force which reached the Nahari village in a search mission on November 29 and 30, fired at the villagers who in turn fled the area to save their lives.

In another incident, the soldiers reportedly captured the stage in the middle of a demonstration organized by the villagers against aforementioned atrocities, and made fun of the statue of BR Ambedkar on the stage. However, Superintendent of Police Dr Abhishek Pallav has called these allegations baseless.

The Dantewada SP said that the villagers were making the allegations under the influence of Naxalites. He further defended the police forces, saying they go to the forest looking for Naxalites, and bring forth the people injured during firing.

However, anyone guilty, if proven, will be punished, he noted.

In a similar kind protest by tribals in Chhattisgarh's Kanker district, thousands of men and women from 200 villages reached Bechaghat.

The tribals said that the government is trying to open a bridge and establish a Border Security Force (BSF) camp in the area and that they are protesting against it.

Land, water, forest

The villagers stated that they have had a claim over the water, forests and land in the region since the time of their ancestors, and that the bridge construction symbolized these resources being taken away from them.

They further said that protests would go on indefinitely until the administration decides to withdraw the decision to build the bridge and the BSF camp.

Kanker Superintendent of Police Salabh Sinha said that the bridge will be constructed in Chhotebaithia on the Kothi river and it will help villagers cross the river without needing a boat.

The interaction between villagers and the administration is underway.