PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, Sept 24: The agitation and rail blockade by Kurmi outfits over their demand for Schedule Tribe ( ST) status entered the fifth day today.
The agitation which is continuing at Kastaur and Khemasuli stations of the South Eastern Railway zone is said to be historic as never before has any railway agitation lasted for so long, resulting in immense problems for passengers and other rail users.
Today too numerous mail/express and passenger trains were cancelled in various railway divisions of South Eastern Railway.
Apart from this, around 60 trains have been short terminated/short originated, 80 trains have been diverted and as many as seven to eight trains were rescheduled.
Some of the trains cancelled trains today include:
- Tatanagar-Howrah-Steel Superfast Express
- Howrah-Barbil-Howrah Janshatabdi Express
- Howrah-Titlagarh-Kantabhanji Ispat Express
- Asansol-Tatanagar-Express
- Tatanagar-Danapur Express
- Tatanagar – Kharagpur Passenger
- Tatanagar- Asansol MEMU Passenger
- Asansol- Bokaro Steel City Special
- Chakradharpur – Gomoh Express
- Hatia- Kharagpur Express
- Dhanbad – Tatanagar Express
- Ranchi- Kharagpur Express
The members of various Kurmi outfits started the agitation on September 20 over their demands which also included the inclusion of the Kurmali language in the 8th Schedule of the Constitution.
Senior railway officers and railway police are camping at the site of agitation for monitoring the situation.
