E-Paper
12-hour Bharat Bandh call by tribal body disrupts train services in WB, Jharkhand
Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan (ASA), a tribal organisation, had called for a “Bharat Bandh” on Saturday, demanding to recognise the Sarna religion in the census
Train services and vehicular movements in some pockets of West Bengal and Jharkhand were disrupted on Saturday after a tribal body staged a demonstration on railway tracks as a part of a 12-hour strike demanding a separate code for the ‘Sarna’ religion.
Adivasi Sengel Abhiyan (ASA), a tribal organisation, had called for a “Bharat Bandh” on Saturday, demanding to recognise the Sarna religion in the census.
The tribal group, which called the 12-hour strike, enforced the “Rail Roko” as they sat on railway tracks disrupting the train services in the state’s western districts such as Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, West Midnapore, and Adra.
The protestors also blocked the tracks at Bahalda Road between Adityapur-Gamariah and Maluka-Dangaoposi stations under the Chakradharpur division, according South Eastern Railway (SER) officials.
“Two trains, Godda weekly Express and Tatanagar-Ara Express had to be cancelled due to the rail block. A few trains had to be diverted for some time,” a South Eastern Railway spokesperson said.
While the Ranchi-Howrah Vande Bharat Express was held up at Purulia, multiple trains were held up at Asansol for some time. The Hatia-Kharagpur Express was also cancelled for the day, and Hatia-Tatanagar Express was diverted. A demonstration was also held at Saltora on the state highway.
According to the officials, the agitators also blocked the Tata-Hata Road in Karandih, Rola Chowk, Birsa Chowk, and Seraikela as well as in Byhatu Chowk on the Chaibasa-Ranchi Road.
Earlier this year, the Calcutta high court had banned an indefinite rail blockade called by the Kurmi community from September 20 in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, saying that the sit-in demonstration was illegal and unconstitutional.
(with PTI inputs)
