Since 2007 Chingari Trust is continuously bestowing ‘Chingari Award’ every year to Indian women who are fighting against corporate crime and protecting the environment.
Chingari Trust is one of organisation that started tradition of giving award from the money received from Goldman Environmental Prize by its founder Rashida Bee and Champa Devi Shukla. Chingari Award consists of a Trophy, Citation and Cheque of `50, 000 in honor to these women.
This year Juries have chosen the women of Garghoda and Tamnar tehsil in Chhattisgarh for the Chingari Award. The names of the women are Bhagwati Bhagat, Uttra Rathiya and Ramila Rathiya of Kosampalli village (gare pelma coal block ), Janki Sidar and Purbi Kalanga and others of village Milupara and Nagramuda (gare pelma coal block) and Paviti Manjhi- Khokro of Aama village.
The reason for having all these together is that even though they are from different villages, women from the whole tehsil have come together instead of fighting separate battles. Their Struggle started when their village lost its land under surface rights for a coal mine (Gare pelma IV-2 and 3, opencast and underground mine) in 2005. The mining and blasting operations are happening at almost 50 meters from habitation. These women have been resisting encroachment by the mine, the affects of blasting on homes and also the environmental pollution ever since the mining started. Absence of green belt, water level reduction and air and soil pollution, high and polluted dust level containing heavy and hazardous substances etc are some of the issues that they are struggling against. They are also a part of the larger struggle against displacement in Tamnar and Raigarh with Chhattisgarh bachao andolan.
On this Occasion Chingari’s Staff has shown different type of discrimination and challenges faced by the Indian women in the present Society through a stage play. Dr. Huma Ahmed, working as Physiotherapist at Chingari trust has shown Women empowerment through her dance and Ali and Son's group has raised their voice against female feticide through their dance.