5k Tribal People March To Bhopal Against House Raze; CM, Shivraj Holds Meeting

More than 5,000 tribal residents from Kosmi village marched to Bhopal on Thursday to protest the demolition of their homes and farmland by the forest department. The demonstrators intended to camp overnight in Konajhir. To address the situation, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan convened a meeting at the Chief Minister's residence that night.

The meeting included BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal, Additional Chief Secretary Neeraj Mandloi, and Principal Secretary of the Forest Department Raghavendra Singh. Forest officials submitted evidence, including Google imagery, indicating that the tribal families had encroached on forest land, stating that they had removed teak saplings and started cultivating the area.

They added that the affected families had permanent residences in Singhpur. The department explained that it had taken action following repeated warnings. The officials halted the operation after receiving a phone call from the Union Minister. Chouhan commented during the meeting that the department should have consulted the local MLA before demolishing tribal homes, asserting that such actions gave a poor impression of the government and the BJP within tribal communities.

The Chief Minister directed officials to find a resolution to the issue. In response, the Forest Development Corporation paused its ongoing anti-encroachment efforts temporarily. The government pledged to engage in discussions with the tribal protesters en route to Bhopal and also sought to hold talks with them prior to their arrival in the state capital.