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a collection of relevant reports from May June 2021:
- Roiled By Mass Adivasi Protests, Congress Adopts BJP Methods In Chhattisgarh by Ashutosh Bhardwaj (11 June 2021) https://article-14.com/post/roiled-by-mass-adivasi-protests-congress-adopts-bjp-methods-in-chhattisgarh-60c241e80001d
- Bastar protest site, the young almost brokered a breakthrough – but now fear police harassment - Malini Subramaniam (Jun 08, 2021) https://scroll.in/article/996938/at-bastar-protest-site-the-young-almost-brokered-a-breakthrough-but-now-fear-police-harassment
- Chhattisgarh CM to meet tribals protesting security camp - Gargi Verma (Raipur - June 9, 2021) https://indianexpress.com/article/india/chhattisgarh-cm-to-meet-tribals-protesting-security-camp-7350180/
- Silger deaths: MLA team meets villagers https://indianexpress.com/article/india/silger-deaths-mla-team-meets-villagers-7343329/
- India: Facts and Fiction of Firing in Silger (Bastar, Chhattisgarh State) by Bela Bhatia and Jean Drèze (27 May 2021) http://www.sacw.net/article14680.html
- With its betrayal in Bastar, Congress has abandoned adivasi cause — one that gave it power by Ashutosh Bhardwaj (22 May, 2021) https://theprint.in/opinion/with-its-betrayal-in-bastar-congress-has-abandoned-adivasi-cause-one-that-gave-it-power/663072/
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June 11, 2021 note by Bela Somari on Facebook
"Protests are not tolerated in Bastar, be they democratic or otherwise. A genuinely nonviolent and powerful adivasi protest at Silger against a new CRPF camp has been managed and sabotaged by the district administration and police officials.
First the government put the adivasi people of the area at great risk of catching the virus by provoking them into mass action by extending sections of two CRPF camps at Tarem to Silger (at a distance of a mere 3 km from Tarem). The camp was set up on 12 May without any prior information to the people of the village or the farmers whose land it occupied. No gram sabha was held as is the requirement under the PESA act. Did the government really think that the people of Silger area will accept this injustice quietly?
There have been so many protests all over Bastar against so many camps in the last three years. The government has managed them all. This time one was hoping it would be different. On the fifth day of the protest, three were killed in the police firing, three sustained bullet injuries, and scores suffered minor injuries. Despite this loss, suffering the heat and the rain, people continued their protest peacefully for 28 days.
But the government seems to have no idea how to really listen to its citizens. What officials do know is how to play mean games with their rights and lives. Using the corona crisis, the government has yet again managed to maintain status quo. Disappointment and anger of the people will certainly have unfortunate consequences.
In this respect, our democracy is certainly not mature or responsible, but pitiful and a sham!"
