Forest Satyagraha of Betul

The involvement of the Central Province (CP) in the Civil Disobedience movement can be best seen in the episodes of Forest Satyagrahas. The Gond and Koru tribes of Banjaridhal, located in Madhya Pradesh's Betul district engaged in one such ferocious Forest Satyagraha. The Banjaridhal people, led by Ganjan Korku, raised the flag of dissent against British rule on August 22 through Forest Satyagraha against the oppressive taxation regime and the harsh forest laws which deprived the people of their livelihoods. When Shahpur police attempted to arrest Korku as he prepared to address a huge crowd of about 500 people, the crowd became enraged and attacked the policemen. However, the police retaliated with firing and violent suppression, and the dozens of satyagrahis were arrested. Later in September, punitive armed police were stationed in the district. Their interference within disaffected communities infuriated the people. This ultimately resulted in a confrontation in Chikhlar on September 19 that also involved firing, in which, ten persons were arrested, and two fatalities were reported. For the tribes who had been harmed by the British-enforced forest laws, the Forest Satyagrahas provided them with a powerful platform. Regardless of gender, this movement inspired a large population of CP to join the independence movement.