Despite the planned rail blockade by the Adivasi Kurmi Samaj, the agitation caused little disruption across West Bengal on Saturday. Only about 21 trains faced diversions, short-terminations, or cancellations in the state.
West Bengal police stepped up their presence, following a recent ruling from the Calcutta High Court. The court labeled the protest “illegal and unconstitutional” and urged both Indian Railways and the state government to keep daily life running smoothly.
Authorities deployed plenty of police officers and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at key stations and roads to stop any blockades. In Purulia district, Superintendent of Police Abhijit Bandyopadhyay assured everyone, “No blockades happened anywhere. Public life stayed completely normal.”
Extra checks, or naka points, remained active at borders like Bandwan-Jharkhand, Barabazar-Jharkhand, and Chawkbazar in Jharkhand to monitor the situation.
The drama started last month when the Adivasi Kurmi Samaj—the biggest group representing the Kurmi community—called for a simultaneous rail blockade in tribal areas of West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha. Their main demand? Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Kurmi community to gain better rights and benefits.
On Thursday, a Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Paul and Justice Das De backed their 2023 order. They told Railways and the West Bengal government to act quickly and prevent the September 20 rail blockade from messing with normal routines.
Right after the verdict, Purulia’s DSP held multiple press conferences, stressing that no unconstitutional protests would be allowed. Come Saturday morning, traffic flowed normally in Purulia, with officers urging locals to keep things calm. Nearby districts like West Midnapore, Bankura, and Jhargram reported no issues either, as the Kurmi community ST status push stayed peaceful overall.
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