Bastar observes Bandh to protest recent incidents
Jagdalpur | Correspondent: A Bastar-wide bandh was observed on Tuesday in response to three major incidents that have rocked Chhattisgarh’s Bastar division within a week.
The shutdown saw significant participation, with markets in both urban and rural areas remaining closed.
Traders and the Bastar Chamber of Commerce also extended their support.
The bandh was called to protest three alarming events, the murder of a journalist, the martyrdom of eight soldiers in a Maoist attack, and violent clashes following a conversion-related dispute in Bade Bodal village.
From early morning, members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Adivasi Samaj led a rally in Jagdalpur, urging people to close their establishments.
A memorandum addressed to the Governor was submitted to the Bastar Collector by Rajaram Todem, State Convenor of the Chhattisgarh Sarva Adivasi Samaj, demanding swift action in all three cases.
Clashes Over Conversion Dispute
On December 30, a burial dispute following the death of a Christian woman in Bade Bodal village near Jagdalpur turned violent.
Villagers, including the Sarpanch, were attacked, leaving 8-10 people injured.
Police were deployed to restore order, and five individuals were arrested.
The incident has reignited tensions over religious conversions in the area.
Journalist Mukesh Chandrakar’s Murder
The tension escalated further on January 1, when journalist Mukesh Chandrakar was murdered in Bijapur by a local contractor, Suresh Chandrakar, and his brothers.
The accused disposed of the body in a septic tank before fleeing.
Suresh was later arrested in Hyderabad, and all suspects are now in police custody.
IED Explosion Kills Eight Soldiers
On January 6, Maoists triggered an IED explosion near Ambeli on the Kutru-Bedre road in Bijapur district.
The attack claimed the lives of eight soldiers from the Bastar Battalion and a driver.
The Sarva Adivasi Samaj called the bandh to protest these back-to-back tragedies, demanding justice and immediate government action.
