Violence erupts during coal mining protest; cops injured, vehicles torched
Several policemen were injured and vehicles torched as protests against a coal mining project in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district spiralled into violence
Ongoing protests against Jindal Power Limited's coal mining project in the Tamnar area of Raigarh district in Chhattisgarh took a violent turn on Saturday (December 27), resulting in attacks on policemen and police property.
The district administration stated that some anti-social elements provoked the protesters, while Congress party alleged that it was state government's stubbornness provoked the peaceful protesters.
People from 14 affected villages, under the Gare Pelma Sector-I coal block in Tamnar, have been staging a sit-in protest at CHP Chowk in Libra village since December 12 against a public hearing held for the project on December 8 at Dhaurabhatha.
They have been demanding the cancellation of the proposed mining project, claiming the public hearing held for its clearance was against prescribed norms.
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On Saturday, according to officials, the mob also stormed into the coal handling plant of Jindal Power Limited and vandalized the premises. Tension prevailed after protesters indulged in stone-pelting and set ablaze a police bus, a jeep and an ambulance, besides damaging several other government vehicles.
Protest against the coal project
According to a statement issued by the district administration, around 300 protesters gathered at the site on Saturday morning, and some of them allegedly blocked roads, disrupting traffic. Senior revenue and police officials intervened around 10 am and persuaded them to return to their designated protest site.
However, the crowd continued to swell as people from nearby villages joined the protest, taking the strength to around 1,000.
"Despite repeated appeals through loudspeakers by officials to maintain peace, the crowd allegedly turned violent around 2.30 pm, broke police barricades and attacked personnel with stones and sticks," the statement added. Sub-Divisional Officer of Police Anil Vishwakarma, Tamnar police station in-charge Kamla Pusam and a constable sustained serious injuries in the attack, and several other police personnel were also hurt.
Attack on Jindal’s CHP properties
The mob then allegedly set ablaze a police bus, a jeep and an ambulance, besides damaging several other government vehicles.
The protesters then reportedly moved towards the Jindal company's coal handling plant (CHP), forced their way inside and torched a conveyor belt, two tractors and other vehicles, besides vandalising the office premises, the release noted.
Upon hearing of the incident, local legislator Vidyawati Sidar from Lailunga, Raigarh Collector Mayank Chaturvedi, and Superintendent of Police Divyang Patel rushed to the spot to pacify the residents. However, the situation did not ease.
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Stones were again hurled, and another incident of arson was reported inside the CHP plant, the statement added. Meanwhile, police said the situation was tense but under control, and security has been tightened in the area.
'Anti-social elements provoked protesters'
Collector Mayank Chaturvedi told reporters that villagers had been sitting peacefully at the protest site for the past 15 days and that the administration had been ensuring necessary facilities.
Chaturvedi, in a press conference, said that "anti-social elements had provoked the protesters", adding that "further attempts by public representatives, the district administration and police officials to hold talks had failed".
He said the crowd remained aggressive and appeared leaderless. Efforts are on to identify responsible persons from the crowd to restore dialogue, he noted.
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He assured that the condition of the injured is stable, and some have been shifted to Raigarh for better treatment.
'Cancel mining project'
Local residents alleged that the situation turned tense after police attempted to remove protesters from the demonstration site on December 27. One of the agitators, Rajesh Singh Markam of Kasdol village in the Tamnar area, on Saturday submitted a complaint to Raigarh SP claiming he has been facing threats from the local SHO.
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Some purported videos of the clashes went viral on social media. They showed a woman police officer being assaulted by women in the crowd, while a few others were seen trying to shield her.
Congress blames state government
Chhattisgarh Congress President Deepak Baij termed the clash unfortunate and blamed it on the state government's "stubbornness". Biaj alleged that the state government is forcibly displacing villagers and tribal people from their forests and land for coal mining.
Villagers and tribal people protesting the alleged forcible allotment of the coal block and a 'fake' public hearing in Tamnar's Gare Pelma Sector-I were subjected to police lathi-charge at the behest of industrialists, after which the agitated villagers retaliated, he claimed. "The villagers were holding a peaceful agitation but were provoked by the government's approach," Baij added.