Clash Over Coal Mine Land Acquisition in Sarguja: FIRs Filed Against Villagers After Stone-Pelting

The confrontation arose when villagers protested the acquisition of their ancestral land for a coal mine. During the clash, they allegedly attacked police officers with stones and slingshots. Twelve or more villagers were also injured in the melee. Following the incident, police have registered cases under serious sections against the villagers and taken several into custody.

Congress leaders condemned the incident. TS Singhdev wrote on social media that the government, instead of protecting its people, used force against them. He called the scene in Parsodhi a “shameful moment for democracy,” highlighting that mining work in government coal mines, outsourced to a private Gujarat-based company, was being carried out at the expense of local residents’ rights. Singhdev criticized what he called the “Gujarat Model,” where local resources and employment are handed over to external companies, disregarding community rights.

Photos from the clash show villagers of Amera village protesting the mine expansion while administrative officials arrived with roughly 500 police personnel. The confrontation left the village tense, with residents retreating from homes. Temporary tents set up by villagers to safeguard their land were dismantled by police, who also carried out raids to detain protestors.

SECL issued a statement claiming compensation of ₹10 crore had been distributed to Parsodhi villagers and employment provided. The land acquisition was carried out in 2001 under the Coal Bearing Act. SECL stated that some “anti-social elements” obstructed mining operations, resulting in minor injuries to the ASP and Deputy Collector. Mining operations, managed by the private company LCC, have resumed partially after dispersing the villagers.

This clash underscores the ongoing conflict between corporate mining interests and local communities’ struggle to retain ancestral lands and safeguard livelihoods.