Ranchi | More than 100 passenger trains were cancelled, diverted or short-terminated on Saturday as a rail blockade by Kurmis is underway at various stations within the jurisdiction of the Ranchi division of South Eastern Railway (SER) and Dhanbad division of East Central Railway, an official said.
Defying prohibitory orders, protestors squatted on tracks at various stations in Muri, Rai, Tatisilwai stations in Ranchi district, Barkakana in Ramgarh, Parasnath in Giridih, Charhi in Hazaribag, Pradhankhanta in Dhanbad, Galudih in East Singhbhum and Chandrpura in Bokaro district under the banner of Adivasi Kurmi Samaj (AKS) to press their demand for a Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the community and inclusion of the Kurmali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
AKS leader OP Mahto said they will spend the night on tracks and they will not withdraw the agitation until their demands are met.
At least 25 passenger trains were cancelled and 24 diverted in Dhanbad division of ECR, while 12 trains, including Vande Bharat and Rajdhani Express, were cancelled and 11 trains diverted in Ranchi division of SER due to the agitation.
Many trains were short-terminated in two divisions, according to statements issued by the railways.
Thousands of passengers were stranded across Jharkhand after trains were halted by the agitators.
Maloti Ghosh, a passenger of Howrah-Pune Duronto Express who was stranded at Ghatshila station in East Singhbhum district till in the evening said, "My daughter, who works in Pune, is unwell. I have to be there anyhow as her two children are suffering. Railway officials are just giving assurances about train movements, but there is no information when it will start running."
Security personnel tried to pacify the protestors and made efforts to clear the tracks, railway officials said.
Hundreds of passengers of Tata-Patna Vande Bharat Express were also stranded at Ranchi’s Muri station. The train was later cancelled, leading to ruckus by passengers.
Senior divisional commercial manager Suchi Singh said the Tata-Patna Vande Bharat express was cancelled at Muri station due to the protest.
Several political parties, including AJSU and Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha (JLKM), extended their support to the demonstrations by the Kurmis.
AJSU chief Sudesh Mahto led the protest at Muri station.
"The agitation has been a great success across the state. The Kurmi community was removed from the ST list in 1931. Since then, the community has been continuously fighting for its rights," Mahto said.
In view of the stir, the Ranchi administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNSS in a 300-metre radius of various stations falling in the district.
The order is effective at Muri, Silli, Khalari and Tatisilwai from 8 pm on Friday to 8 am on September 21, according to an official statement.
A similar order within a radius of 100 metres has been imposed at Tatanagar, Govindpur, Rakha Mines and Haldipokhar stations under Dhalbhum subdivision of East Singhbhum district.
Adivasi Kurmi Samaj member and Kurmi Vikas Morcha central president Sheetal Ohdar said they were staging protests on railway tracks in a peaceful manner.
DGP Anurag Gupta had instructed the police on Friday to increase vigilance, deploy additional forces with protective gear, install CCTVs and drones at sensitive stations, and coordinate with railway police to prevent stone-pelting and ensure passenger safety during the agitation.
Meanwhile, various tribal organisations staged a demonstration near Raj Bhawan in Ranchi to protest the Kurmi’s agitation.
"The protest by Kurmi community is illegal and undemocratic. They want to snatch the rights of genuine scheduled tribes," said a tribal leader Lakshmi Narayan Munda.
