Tribal Protests in Chhattisgarh: A Cry to Save Hasdeo’s Forests

SURGUJA, India — In the green heart of Chhattisgarh’s Hasdeo Arand, where ancient trees tower over tribal villages, a battle is brewing. Adivasi communities, alongside environmental activists, are fighting tooth and nail to protect this pristine forest from coal mining that’s tearing through their land and way of life. The protests, which flared up again in 2024 over fresh tree-cutting, shine a light on the clash between India’s push for development and the urgent need to preserve its environment and tribal heritage.

Hasdeo Arand, a sprawling 170,000-hectare forest in Surguja, Surajpur, and Korba districts, is a haven for wildlife like elephants and leopards, and home to sacred trees like sal and mahua that sustain tribal life. But beneath its soil lies coal 5 billion tonnes of it drawing companies like Adani Enterprises, which runs the Parsa East and Kanta Basan (PEKB) coal mine for Rajasthan’s power needs. Since 2012, over 81,000 trees have been chopped down, with some estimates closer to 350,000. In 2024, 137 hectares were cleared, and plans to fell up to 800,000 trees for new mining phases have sparked outrage.

“This forest is our everything our food, our culture, our home,” said Munni Bai, a Gond tribal woman from Fatehpur village, her voice shaking after joining protests for over 600 days. “If they take it, what’s left for us?” For tribes like the Gonds, who depend on forest produce for nearly half their income, mining threatens their survival. The Hasdeo River, vital for irrigating 300,000 hectares of farmland, is also at risk from pollution and dwindling water levels.

The protests, led by groups like the Hasdeo Aranya Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, have met fierce pushback. In October 2024, police clashed with villagers in Salhi, leaving activists like Ram Lal Kariyam bruised and shaken. Locals say mining approvals were secured with forged village council consents, a claim supported by a 2024 state tribal commission report accusing officials of pressuring leaders to sign fake documents. “Our rights are being trampled for profit,” said Alok Shukla, a local activist. “Laws meant to protect us are being ignored.”

The environmental damage is stark. The Wildlife Institute of India warns that mining disrupts the Lemru Elephant Corridor, pushing elephants onto highways and causing conflicts 27 have already been displaced. The forest, a critical carbon sink and water source for the Hasdeo Bango reservoir, faces irreversible harm. “Losing Hasdeo isn’t just a local tragedy; it’s a blow to India’s climate goals,” said Rakesh Tiwari, an environmentalist in Raipur.

Both Congress and BJP governments have drawn fire for enabling mining. Congress, while in power, vowed to make Hasdeo an elephant reserve in 2022 but still greenlit mining expansions. Now, under BJP Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, a tribal himself, tree-felling has sped up, with critics pointing fingers at Adani’s influence. “This is a sellout of our forests,” said Congress leader Deepak Baij, who joined protests in January 2024. Sai, however, defends the mines as vital for energy, while blaming Congress for earlier approvals.

The movement has grown, with farmers’ groups and parties like the Aam Aadmi Party rallying behind the Adivasis. In 2021, 350 tribals marched 300 kilometers to Raipur, and recent protests in Hariharpur drew thousands, despite police crackdowns and reports of torched protest camps. Social media has amplified their cause, with #SaveHasdeo trending on X.

India’s drive for coal and power pits economic needs against the rightsmicron of its oldest communities and ecosystems. With court cases pending in the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal, Hasdeo’s fate remains uncertain. For the Adivasis, it’s a fight for their identity, land, and future. “We won’t stop,” vowed Munni Bai, her eyes fixed on the forest. As the nation grapples with its energy demands, the Hasdeo protests demand a reckoning: can India grow without sacrificing its most vulnerable people and places? The answer will shape Chhattisgarh’s and India’s path forward.