Chhattisgarh Adivasi rights activist Hidme Markam was arrested on 9 March 2021 by a large group of paramilitary force, when she and hundreds of other villagers gathered at Sameli village in Dantewada to mark International Women’s Day. Markam’s arrest comes at a time when agitations against false and prolonged incarceration and forceful acquisitions of tribal land by corporate giants are at an all-time high in the state. Markam is an Adivasi woman human rights defender advocating for indigenous rights, against police and state violence, and the impact of mining in the State of Chhattisgarh. She is an anti-mining campaigner, focusing on projects led by large corporations such as Adani Pvt Ltd., which threaten to destroy a sacred Adivasi hill, considered a local deity by the community.

On 4 January 2023 Markham was released on bail. Markham has been acquitted in four legal cases against her, including a case under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) as police failed to prove the charges. A final case against her is currently pending in court.