Tribal Women Launch ‘Chita Andolan’ Against Ken-Betwa Project | 20 Apr 2026

Why in News? 

Recently, an intense protest known as the 'Chita Andolan' (Funeral Pyre Protest) was launched by tribal women in the Chhatarpur and Panna districts of Madhya Pradesh. Protesters laid on mock funeral pyres to signify that the submergence of their land under the Ken-Betwa Link Project (KBLP) is equivalent to a death sentence for their community and culture. 

Key Points 

• Symbolic Resistance: Tribal women, some carrying infants, occupied mock pyres to protest the construction of the Daudhan Dam. 
• Primary Demands: The protesters are demanding a halt to the project, citing the loss of ancestral land, inadequate compensation, and the lack of a proper "land-for-land" rehabilitation policy. 
• Suppression Allegations: Protesters and activists from the Jai Kisan Andolan have alleged that the local administration used restrictive measures, including the imposition of Section 163 of the BNSS (formerly Section 144 CrPC), to block food and water supplies to the protest sites. 
• Major Concerns: The project will lead to the submergence of a significant portion of the Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR), threatening the habitat of tigers, vultures, and gharials. 
  • Deforestation: Estimates suggest that nearly 20 lakh trees will be felled, impacting the local micro-climate and forest-dependent tribal livelihoods. 
  • Displacement: Approximately 21 villages face submergence. Tribal communities argue that their constitutional rights under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) and the Forest Rights Act (FRA) have been bypassed. 
  • Hydrological Viability: Several environmentalists question the "surplus" water claims of the Ken River, especially given the increasing frequency of droughts due to climate change. 
• Balancing Act: While the project promises to transform the socio-economic landscape of Bundelkhand by providing irrigation to 10.62 lakh hectares and drinking water to 62 lakh people, it must balance developmental goals with social justice.