Jharkhand Disom Party (JDP) activists on Tuesday put up road blockades and squatted on rail tracks in West Singbum district demanding official language status for Santhali language, disrupting rail movement in the area.
Armed JDP activists have been squatting on the rail track at Lotapahar station in the district under Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway since 6.30 am and the blockade is still on, railway sources said.
Eight passenger trains including long distance ones and 10 goods trains plying between Tatanagar and Rourkela on Howrah-Mumbai route were held up at various stations as the agitators refused to pay heed to the official's plea to move.
The Howrah-bound Geetanjali Express, Alleppy-Tata Express and Ahmedabad-Howrah express were held up at Rourkela and Manoharpur stations while Puri-Haridwar Utkal Express was held up at Tatanagar Station, the sources said.
Several other passengers trains were being regulated.
JDP called rail and road blockades in seven states including West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Assam, JDP chief Salkhan Murmu said.
Their demands included enlisting of over 80 lakhs tribals living in Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands in the Schedule Tribe category, panchayat election, domicile and reservation policy, he said.
{{/usCountry}}Their demands included enlisting of over 80 lakhs tribals living in Assam and Andaman Nicobar islands in the Schedule Tribe category, panchayat election, domicile and reservation policy, he said.
{{/usCountry}}JDP Mahila Morcha leader Premsila Murmu said the party put up road blockades at tribal-dominated Raghoi and Janebeda in Chakradharpur in Jharkhand.