AAP accuses Chhattisgarh govt of handing tribal land and forests to Industrialists

Raipur | Correspondent: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a press conference at its state office in Raipur, alleging that land, forests, and water resources are being taken away from tribal communities in Chhattisgarh and handed over to private industrialists. 

Addressing the media, AAP acting state president Uttam Jaiswal said that these decisions benefit only industrialists and a few people in power, while harming the interests of the people of the state.

Jaiswal said the government is trying to portray the issue as only a tribal matter, whereas it is a fight for the entire state. He alleged that the government is deliberately trying to label tribals as “anti-development”. 

He pointed out that for decades, minerals have been extracted from areas such as Dantewada, Bhanupratappur, Korba, Raigarh, and Surguja, but these regions have not seen real development. “What the government calls development is actually the benefit of a few,” he said.

AAP state vice-president and spokesperson Priyanka Shukla said that when it became clear that even a fake Gram Sabha meeting could not be conducted in Amera, the government invoked the Coal Bearing Act to forcibly start work. She said that before this issue was resolved, a fake public hearing was conducted in 14 villages of Tamnar, and soon after that, forests were cut in Muda Par in Raigarh district.

Shukla said that during this period, the Bailadila issue also came to the fore, where local youth openly expressed their anger. She said the Aam Aadmi Party closely monitored these developments, visited the affected areas repeatedly, and listened to people’s concerns. “It is clear that the Chhattisgarh government has completely surrendered to its wealthy industrialist friends,” she alleged.

She further said that in Bastar, Raigarh, Surguja, and other regions, the government is bowing before a handful of capitalists. Referring to industrialists Naveen Jindal and the Adani Group, she alleged that the BJP-led Vishnudeo Sai government is selling off Chhattisgarh’s land, forests, and mountains by ignoring the Constitution and the law.

Raising questions over the Tamnar violence case, Shukla asked what action the government has taken so far. She said AAP had demanded a judicial inquiry, but no steps have been taken. She also questioned why the case of an elderly man who died after being hit by a coal truck allegedly linked to Jindal’s company is being suppressed and why the conspiracy behind it is not being exposed.

Shukla also questioned the legality of forest felling in Surguja and asked why no investigation has been carried out into fake Gram Sabha meetings in the Hasdeo region. She pointed out that the Scheduled Tribes Commission’s investigation had revealed that fake public hearing documents were prepared for forest cutting in Hasdeo, yet no action has been taken so far.

AAP State President (Employee Wing) Vijay Kumar Jha said the anger being expressed by youth in Bailadila is a warning sign. He said if the government does not take corrective steps in time, the situation could turn into a serious crisis. “The government is ready to talk to Naxalites, but why is it not talking to common people, tribals, farmers, and youth?” he asked.

Jha said that around 5,000 people gathered during the Hasdeo movement on the 16th, and it was not a political rally but a protest by ordinary citizens. He added that similar gatherings were seen in Tamnar and are now being witnessed in Bailadila.

AAP State Media In-charge Mihir Kurmi said that rules and regulations applicable in Fifth Schedule areas must be implemented immediately. He said no development work should be carried out in these areas without the consent of the Gram Sabha. Kurmi also questioned why a judicial inquiry has still not been ordered in the Tamnar violence case. He alleged that in Raigarh, police personnel and farmers were deliberately pitted against each other to benefit Jindal.

Kurmi further asked how mining permissions were granted in Bailadila without Gram Sabha approval, despite visible public anger. He questioned why the government is unable to speak against industrialists like Jindal and Adani, alleging that the state is being sold off “for a pittance”.

AAP State President (Youth Wing) Imran Khan warned the government to stop acting as an agent of a few capitalists and to work in the interest of the people. He said if the government fails to address these issues in time, the Aam Aadmi Party will launch a large movement involving tribals, farmers, and youth from Surguja, Amera, Tamnar, and Bailadila. He said details of the proposed movement would be shared with the media soon.