A big protest became intense in Kanker district of Chhattisgarh with people from 68 villages of 18 panchayats blocking roads in Antagarh after six days of protest without any resolution being achieved to their demands. On Tuesday, the agitation, into its seventh day, was marked by a road blockade by the angry villagers where traffic was brought to a virtual halt on the Bhanupratappur–Narayanpur route.
Villagers were organizing in long lines of vehicles on both sides of the highway calling for action in a 10-point charter of demands. This includes the opening of a district cooperative bank branch, shifting of the block head office to Koylibeda, appointment of a women doctor at the community health centre, repair of worn-out schools and hostels, development of good street connectivity, and provision of adequate fertilizers and seeds to farmers. Crowds also voiced their anger against local political figures, claiming that they had not been paid attention to for years.
A separate demonstration took place in Balod district where thousands of people of the tribal community surrounded the Collector’s office on the issue of Pateshwar Dham. The situation heated up when protesters breached police barricades and went onto a sit-in inside the administrative complex. The protesters even put a cook stove on-site and cooked food there as part of their lengthy demonstration.
The tribal communities have alleged that authorities have been remiss in failing to take any steps to stop the alleged illegal land encroachments and unregistered construction activities in connection with Pateshwar Dham. They also called for the protection of traditional tribal lands, an action against the illegal mining and a ban on an upcoming fair held from May to June 2026. Both protests have attracted a lot of attention and have put pressure on the state administration to respond to local issues.