A major confrontation took place at the Balod Collectorate on Monday evening when thousands of members of the Sarv Adivasi Samaj breached multiple security barricades and entered the Collectorate premises during a large-scale protest over alleged encroachment on forest land, pending community forest rights claims, alleged corruption in the Tribal Development Branch and other tribal issues. Anticipating the agitation, the district administration had erected barricades at three locations, deployed water cannon vehicles and stationed hundreds of police personnel. However, the arrangements proved inadequate as protesters advanced towards the Collectorate in large numbers, overwhelming the security cordon and forcing their way into the premises. The protest was called over allegations relating to the construction of a temple on disputed land in the forest region of Tuegondi village under Dondi Lohara block, alleged inaction in earlier assault cases involving members of the tribal community, delays in recognising forest rights claims and alleged irregularities within the Tribal Development Branch. Leaders of the Sarv Adivasi Samaj alleged that protected forest land in Dondi Lohara tehsil has been subjected to encroachment and construction activities for years despite repeated complaints and documentary submissions to authorities. They claimed that although the Forest Department had acknowledged encroachment in Protected Forest Compartment No- 304, no effective action had followed. The organisation further alleged that a 134-page Community Forest Rights claim submitted by the Forest Rights Committee of Tumdikasa Gram Panchayat in 2021 remains unresolved.

 

Protesters questioned how construction activities linked to Jamdi Pateshwar Dham had been permitted while forest rights claims of tribal residents remained pending. They also alleged that substantial public funds had been spent on construction works in the area despite the unresolved status of the land. The demonstrators additionally raised concerns regarding alleged inaction in cases registered under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and demanded action on corruption complaints submitted against officials of the Tribal Development Branch. They also alleged damage to the tribal faith centre “Jal Kena” at Turangtola village, describing it as an affront to tribal religious and cultural sentiments. Tension escalated when protesters attempted to cross the administrative barricades, leading to clashes between demonstrators and security personnel. Several protesters and police personnel reportedly sustained injuries during the confrontation. As the situation threatened to deteriorate further, Superintendent of Police Jitendra Kumar Yadav personally engaged with the protesters. Addressing the gathering, he said the police personnel were acting under his instructions and accepted responsibility for any unpleasant incidents that may have occurred while attempting to control the crowd. He also appealed for peace and normalcy. Protest leaders alleged that Collector Divya Mishra did not meet the demonstrators despite the scale of the agitation. As the standoff continued into the evening, protesters built a temporary stove using paving blocks inside the Collectorate premises and reheated pre-cooked khichdi, which was served among participants as a symbolic mark of protest. The Sarv Adivasi Samaj warned of an intensified democratic agitation if authorities fail to take action on alleged illegal construction, pending forest rights claims, protection of tribal religious sites and corruption complaints. A memorandum detailing the demands was submitted to the administration.