They were part of around 7,000 members of the Satnami Samaj, who had gone to Baloda Bazar from different parts of Chhattisgarh to protest the desecration of a Jaitkham – a structure that holds religious significance for the Satnam Panth sect – located in Amar Cave, around five kilometers from Giraudpuri village in Baloda Bazar district. The desecration had taken place on the night of May 16-17.

Giraudpuri is the birthplace of Guru Baba Ghasidas, born in 1756, and Amar Cave is named after one of his five sons, Amardas. The Satnami Samaj, also known as the Satnam Panth, is a religious movement founded by Ghasidas. The sect mostly comprises Dalits.

The SP and the Collector have been transferred by the state government.

So far, three laborers from Bihar have been arrested in connection with the desecration.

Around 11 am on Monday, protesters, calling for a CBI inquiry into the desecration, started gathering at the Dusshera ground in Baloda Bazar, and by around 2.30 pm, they started marching towards the Collector’s office, around 1.5 kilometers away. The SP’s office is in the same compound.

Explaining the sequence of events, District Collector KL Chouhan told The Indian Express, “The organizers of the protest were given permission only to come till Garden Chowk, which is one kilometer away from the Collector’s office. They had given us an application that they wanted to come till the Collector’s office, but we had a discussion with the organizers, who then promised they would not cross Garden Chowk.”

By 3 pm, a crowd of over 1,000 people broke the police barricades and reached the Collector’s office compound. Around 300-350 policemen and other officials at the spot were outnumbered and, despite resorting to lathicharge, teargas and water-cannon, could not control the crowd.

As the crowd pelted stones, several glass windows of the Collector’s office were shattered. Simultaneously, the SP’s office was set on fire, as were 214 vehicles in the compound.

“They had brought petrol in bottles, which they used to set vehicles on fire. They also brought stones, which led us to believe the riot was planned,” Chouhan said.

A policeman was seriously injured, while 25-30 police personnel suffered minor injuries.

Police have arrested 74 protesters so far, and are checking surveillance cameras to find the identities of others involved.

Six FIRs have been registered in the case.

Anger regarding the desecration had been brewing since last month. Sentiments of the Satnami Samaj, which has a significant population in Baloda Bazar as well as in other parts of Chhattisgarh, were hurt, and the government underestimated their emotions, Guru Rudra Kumar, a former minister in the previous Congress government in the state, told The Indian Express.

“In our Satnami Samaj, we do not do idol worship. We worship the Jaitkham and Gaddi (throne/seat). Jaitkham is a symbol that represents the most revered Guru Ghasidas Baba ji. Its desecration is akin to hurting the emotions of the entire Samaj. The government underestimated our emotions. We have been protesting since last month. We wanted to know if the BJP is behind this, or if it is a conspiracy to break our Samaj or defame our holy place,” alleged Rudra Kumar, adding that he is a sixth generation descendant of Guru Ghasidas Baba.

“Even after giving them an ultimatum, they were dismissive. They arrested some Bihari laborers who we believe were not involved, so we demanded a CBI inquiry… Our Samaj wanted to take out a peaceful march to the Collector’s office to give a complaint. The Satnami Samaj can influence 55 of 90 Assembly seats in Chhattisgarh, yet the government took us lightly,” he said.

A senior Samaj leader, requesting anonymity, said, “The Samaj decided that we will not reinstall the Jaitkham till the real culprits are arrested. But a BJP MLA reinstalled the Jaitkham, which hurt the sentiments of a faction of the Samaj.”

Addressing a press conference Tuesday evening, the state BJP government’s Food Minister Dayaldas Baghel and Revenue Minister Tank Ram Verma alleged that Congress leaders, including some MLAs, attended the protest that led to the violence.

“In the protest, some people systematically committed serious crimes like arson, loot, damage to government property, and attempt to murder, in order to defame the Satnami community. Everything was executed in a planned manner. Anti-social elements torched about 150 two-wheelers and four-wheelers to ashes,” Minister Baghel said.

Congress leaders, including Guru Rudra Kumar and two incumbent MLAs, attended the protest, he alleged, adding that the incident was the result of a well-planned conspiracy by the party, and an attempt to defame Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s government.

He also alleged that the Bhim Army was involved.

Local news reports had said before the protest that over a lakh people were expected to take part. A day before the protest, a member of a group called the Bhim Regiment had put out a video on social media, expressing anger at the state government for not fulfilling their demands. He said in the video that everyone from his group would join the protest and that they would not be stopped regardless of whatever security arrangements are made.

A senior leader of the Samaj said that some outfits that were not associated with them were responsible for the violence. The Samaj, he said, was known for being peaceful. —With PTI inputs