For over a month, Silger village in Sukma district became a magnet for thousands of Adivasis from across southern Chhattisgarh who travelled long distances to join a protest against the establishment of a camp of the Central Reserve Police Force.
The protest, which saw the participation of over 5,000 Adivasis at its peak, has now scaled down, because of concerns over the spread of coronavirus and the start of the monsoon agricultural season. Around 200 people, however, continue to remain at the site, 35 days after the protest first began.
Silger attracted protestors from all over Bastar for a reason: in recent months, the region has seen rising friction over the establishment of security camps, ostensibly for the purpose of aiding road construction. Across the seven districts of Bastar division, there have been at least 12 such protests since October last year.
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