Kurmi tribals continue 'Rail Roko' protest over demand for SC status, over 50 trains cancelled in West Bengal

Kolkata: Train services in several parts of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal remained affected on Wednesday as people from Kurmi tribal community continued their 'Rail Roko' agitation by blocking tracks at two stations in West Bengal for more than 24 hours to press for their demand for Scheduled Tribe status. The blockade which began at 4 AM on Tuesday continued on Wednesday at Khemasuli in Paschim Medinipur district and Kustaur in Purulia district of West Bengal. The stir caused the cancellation of 53 trains, diversion and short-termination of 33 trains and rescheduling of 40 trains, an SER official said.

Agitators lifted blockades at other railway stations by Tuesday evening. Besides the ST tag, the agitators are also demanding the inclusion of the Kurmali language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.

West Bengal | People from the Kurmi tribal community continue their 'Rail Roko' protest over the demand for Scheduled Tribes status, in Purulia.

The stir affected train services in several parts of Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal. pic.twitter.com/DfzktuEAzE — ANI (@ANI) September 21, 2022

Among the trains that were cancelled are 12871 Howrah-Titlagarh Express, 12021/12022 Howrah-Barbil-Howrah Express and 18020 Dhanbad-Jhargram Express, he said.

Several other express trains have been diverted, while some MEMU passengers have been scheduled to be short-terminated/short-originated owing to the ongoing agitation, the official said.

(With agency inputs)