BHOPAL: Massive protests by tribals accompanied by pressure by union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has compelled the Dr Mohan Yadav-led Madhya Pradesh government to put on hold the process of creating Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Wildlife Sanctuary in Sehore district of the central Indian state.
“In pursuance with the directions from the government, the proposal to create the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Wildlife Sanctuary in parts of the Sehore Forest Division is put on hold. Entire process on the issue is put on hold till further orders,” principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF-Wildlife) Subhranjan Sen wrote to the DFO-Sehore on Monday.
Importantly, the proposal to create the sanctuary in the Sehore Forest Division (which comes under the home district and parliamentary constituency of the current union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan) was first mooted during the Congress government in the state, when the current Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar was the state’s forest minister.
Around six years later, in May 2025, the present BJP regime headed by Dr Mohan Yadav had set the ball rolling again on the issue, seeking a revised proposal from DFO-Sehore to create the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Wildlife Sanctuary.
Just a month later, 50 houses of the tribal community were reportedly demolished by the forest department for removing encroachments from the Khivni Wildlife Sanctuary in the adjoining Dewas district on June 23.
Four days later, massive protest by tribals was reported in Sehore district, where the local MP and union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was attending a development meeting at the district collectorate.
The tribal protestors, including men and women from Sehore and Dewas districts were protesting the June 23 demolition of houses and the proposed Sardar Vallabhbhai Wildlife Sanctuary, which they alleged would affect 2 lakh people in Sehore and Dewas districts.
Striking a chord with the protestors, Chouhan not just took the memorandum of demands from the protestors, but also targeted the forest department saying, “I’m reiterating and cautioning the forest department and forest development corporation staff that don’t commit this mistake again. Whatever is being done by them is to tarnish the image of the government.”
A day later on Sunday, the union minister and ex-MP CM Chouhan accompanied by the tribals met with the present CM Dr Mohan Yadav in Bhopal and raised the issue.
With the opposition Congress also latching on to the tribal anger, the MP CM sent state’s tribal affairs minister Vijay Shah, who is facing criminal case for his controversial ‘sister of terrorists’ remark against Colonel Sofia Qureshi, to Dewas district on Sunday, to meet with the affected tribals.
A few hours later, the CM Dr Mohan Yadav said, “I met people from the tribal community (accompanied by the union agriculture minister) who’ve been affected by the action by the forest department for the Khivni Sanctuary. Have heard their complaints and ordered investigations. I’ve also instructed officials to take strict action against the culprits and provide the victims the benefits of government facilities. The forest department has also been instructed to avoid any such action during the rainy season.”
Later, on Sunday evening, the present DFO-Sehore, Magan Singh Dabar (who himself is a tribal) was transferred and Archana Patel appointed the new DFO-Sehore.