Chhattisgarh

Chhattisgarh, formed in November 2000, celebrates the vibrant cultures of its 42 tribes, including the Gond, Baiga, and Pardhi. Nestled in the heart of India, the state is renowned for its lush forests, rich mineral resources, and historical significance, with roots tracing back to the Ramayana. The demand for a separate state arose from a long-standing struggle for recognition and development, centred on local identity and rights.

Chhattisgarh strives to balance economic growth with the preservation of its cultural heritage. The state prioritises tribal voices, ensuring their inclusion in the development process. In recent years, particularly under the Forest Rights Act, the state has begun recognising habitat rights for Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) such as the Baiga.

Pre-colonial history

The region traces its ancestry to Dakshin Kosala and Dandakaranya, regions linked to the epic Ramayana. It was later governed by the Chedis and Chalukyas before falling under Mughal suzerainty and subsequently British control. The British colonial gaze led them to acquire control over the wealth and timber reserves in the forests of the region through laws that deprived local tribes of their rights to the region and its resources. This led to severe conflicts over traditional rights and sparked revolts among tribal communities. The Bastar tribals even sought a separate state of Gondwana, but the movement petered out as they could not mobilise political support or garner support from the rice-growing plains around Raipur (Government of Chhattisgarh, n.d.; Ministry of Tribal Affairs, 2005; Verghese, 2015).

These exploitative patterns later contributed to the rise of socio-political mobilisations such as the Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (CMM), spearheaded by Shankar Guha Niyogi, which centred on labour rights, tribal empowerment, and resistance to ecological degradation, laying early groundwork for the regional identity that would inform later statehood demands (Dogra, 2016).

Early movements for autonomy

Gandhi's visit to the region in 1920 while advocating for the Khilafat and Non-Cooperation movements catalysed the realisation of the regional identity, which was soon followed by the formation of the Raipur District Congress Committee in 1924. The committee was instrumental in voicing the demand for a separate Chhattisgarh province (Government of India, n.d.).

Under British India, Chhattisgarh states existed as 15 minor princely states, under the Eastern States Agency, which included 42 princely states (the rest of which went on to become a part of Orissa). In August 1947, the Eastern States Agency members formed the Eastern States Union. However, two significant states, namely Mayurbhanj and Bastar, refused to join (Government of Odisha, n.d.; Government of Chhattisgarh, n.d.). The State Ministry did not recognise the union, noting linguistic and administrative issues. Subsequently, Chhattisgarh states came to be transferred into the Central Provinces and Berar (later became Madhya Pradesh).

Post-colonial era

In 1948, B.Y. Tamaskar had proposed the idea of Chhattisgarh's statehood, but was unable to gather much support. In 1956, however, Khubchand Baghel brought the matter of Chhattisgarh's statehood to the forefront and demanded it via the Chhattisgarh Bhratru Sangh (CBS). The CBS's demand for Chhattisgarh's autonomy originated from their criticism of the drain of wealth from the Chhattisgarh region for the sole development of the mainland in Madhya Pradesh (Tillin, 2013).

When Baghel's efforts did not materialise, Purushottam Kaushik contested the elections in 1977 from the Praja Socialist Party on a pro-statehood platform. By 1980, the matter of Chhattisgarh's statehood had gathered national support, particularly due to the efforts of Arjun Singh (then Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh) to recognise Chhattisgarhi's identity (Yadav, 2023).

In the late 1980s, under INC, Arjun Singh set up the Chhattisgarh Vikas Pratikharan and a Backwards Classes Commission. Moreover, OBCs, STs, and SCs from the region came to be instituted in the Legislative Assembly. This led the BJP to also take an interest in the Chhattisgarh issue.

In 1990, the BJP formed the government in Madhya Pradesh for the first time. Leaders from both the BJP and the INC set up all-party campaigns for the creation of Chhattisgarh. Ahead of the 1993 assembly elections, Chhattisgarhi statehood featured on the manifestos of both the INC and the BJP for the first time.

Later in 1994, the new Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Digvijay Singh of the INC, passed a unanimous resolution in favour of statehood in the legislative assembly. The BJP responded aggressively by dominating the Chhattisgarh Rajya Nirman Manch (Chhattisgarh State Creation Committee). In 1998, at an election rally, the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, even promised to create Chhattisgarh if the party won all eleven seats in the region.

Atal Bihar Vajpayee.

Grant of Statehood to Chhattisgarh

Finally, in August 2000, with the BJP in power at the Centre and the INC in power at the state, the Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act was passed. Chhattisgarh was born on 1 November 2000, comprising sixteen districts with its capital at Raipur (Government of India, 2000). Based on the 1998 state elections, Ajit Jogi of the INC was invited to form the first government.

Since its formation, the state has expanded to 33 districts and continues to build on the foundational vision of inclusive growth and tribal welfare. The region’s high tribal population (over 30%) and the presence of seven PVTGs have shaped state policies focused on forest rights, local self-governance, and cultural preservation (Verma, 2018).

References

• Government of Chhattisgarh (n.d.). History. 

  
  

• Government of India (2000). Madhya Pradesh Reorganisation Act. 

  
  

• Government of India (n.d.). Gandhi’s Visit to Raipur with the Ali Brothers, 1920. 

  
  

• Government of India (n.d.). Organisation of the District Congress Session at Durg, 1924. 

  
  

• Yadav, S., (2023).  A political history of Chhattisgarh. The Indian Express. 

  
  

• Ministry of Tribal Affairs (2005). Land Rights to the Tribal and Forest Dwellers. 

  
  

• Verma, A., (2018). Chhattisgarh makes headway on tribal rights but more is needed. Mongabay. 

  
  

• Tillin, L. (2013). Statehood without a movement: Chhattisgarh. Oxford Academic. 

  
  

• Verghese, A. (2015) British Rule and Tribal Revolts in India: The curious case of Bastar. Modern Asian Studies; 50(5):1619-1644. 

  
  

• Dogra, B., (2016). Remembering Shankar Guha Niyogi, the Legendary Labour leader of Chattisgarh. The Wire.