Train services hit as Kurmi community protests on Howrah-Mumbai rail route

Thousands gathered at several stations of the Howrah-Mumbai route to protest and demand recognition of Kurmi community under the ST caste category on Wednesday, due to which the Railways had to cancel around 70 trains and divert several others.

The Railways cancelled the trains of Kharagpur and Adra Railway division of Bengal as a precautionary measure. The Howrah-Mumbai rail route and the Kolkata-Baharagora road have been affected the most by the agitation.

Ranchi Railway Division also cancelled the services of eight trains on April 5, including Adra-Barkakana Memu Special, Hatia-Kharagpur Passenger Express and Bokaro Steel city-Asansol Memu Passenger Express, among others.

People of Kurmi community from Jharkhand-Bengal-Odisha started gathering in several groups on the railway line at Khemasuli station of Kharagpur division and Kustaur station of Adra division on Tuesday night, to protest.

Rajesh Mahto, who is leading the agitation at Khemasuli station, said that the state government has not been listening to them and is not sending the Justificaion Bill to the Centre.

He said that the community will now resort to an indefinite strike by blocking the roads and Railways so that the state government is forced to send the Bill to the Central government.

East Singhbhum district in-charge of the community, Prabhat Kumar Mahato said that his community had been deprived of their rights by being kept away from recognition under the ST category.

He said the movement has been started after several requests made to the governments and no action being taken in the matter.