Tribals force RSS on back foot in Chhattisgarh

The tribals blocked the roads on the Gandhi Chowk square route where the RSS had planned path-sanchalan after getting permission from the administration a few days ago.
RSS march. (Photo | EPS)
RSS march. (Photo | EPS)

RAIPUR: The RSS had to alter the course of their path-sanchalan (route march on public paths led by its cadres wearing uniform of the organisation) in north Chhattisgarh, where the Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat was on a three-day visit, as tribals from the Sarva Adivasi Samaj objected to the route of the march on Wednesday.

The confrontation started building up over the passageway through Gandhi Chowk at Ambikapur district, about 330 km north of Raipur. The tribals blocked the roads on the Gandhi Chowk square route where the RSS had planned path-sanchalan after getting permission from the administration a few days ago.

The protesting tribals claimed that the path-sanchalan of RSS is interfering in their programme. The tribal group had staged a ‘Chakka Jam’ acro ss the state against the reduction in their reservation. The Scheduled Tribe reservation was slashed from 32% to 20% following the order of Chhattisgarh high court in September this year.

However, an RSS functionary said that the route was changed but it didn’t affect their scheduled programme. “The path-sanchalan was taken out through four different routes, each with 2,500 activists and they assembled at PG College ground where Bhagwatiji addressed them.

We have no issues with tribals over the route”, he said. However, the district authorities struggled. “It was a herculean task for the district administration and the police to ask both the RSS and the Sarva Adivasi Samaj group to arrive at some consensus.

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