Before the first concrete is poured for a grand development project, the first foundation that must be laid is public trust. That principle appears to have been forgotten in Madhya Pradesh, where the government chose police muscle over meaningful dialogue to end the ‘Chita Andolan’ at Kupi in Chhatarpur district. It may have dispersed the protesters, but it has done little to address the grievances that brought them together.

The agitation, which began on July 3, drew several hundred protesters, mostly tribals, who feared displacement and questioned the implementation of the Rs 44,605-crore Ken-Betwa Link Project. On July 19, thousands of police personnel reportedly descended on the protest site with hundreds of vehicles.

Instead of engaging with the demonstrators, officials allegedly........

© Free Press Journal