Rail roko movements in Cooch Behar, Kokrajhar affect trains

While GCPA activists have been squatting on the tracks for the third day, Adivasi National Convention Committee members began a five-hour railway blockade

Railway services were today affected due to blockades on separate issues at Cooch Behar in West Bengal and Kokrajhar in Assam with long distance trains diverted or stranded at several stations.

While the Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) activists were squatting on the tracks for the third day at New Cooch Behar railway station, Adivasi National Convention Committee members began a five-hour railway blockade at Kokrajhar railway station from 8 a.m.

As a result of Kokrajhar blockade, all down trains including Rajdhani Express have been controlled at New Bongaigaon station in Assam while all up trains have been held up in different stations of North Bengal including Alipurduar, an Northeast Frontier Railway zone spokesman said in Guwahati, the NFR headquarters.
 

The GCPA is demanding union territory status or C-Category statehood for Cooch Behar and the Adivasi National Convention Committee protested in supported for an immediate ST status for Adivasis of Assam.

The GCPA stir, which began from 6 a.m on Saturday, at New Cooch Behar station on the Cooch Behar-New Jalpaiguri section, was still on with it's chief, Bangshi Badan Barman, sticking to his stand.

"We are staying at New Cooch Behar for three days but no one came to talk with us. On the other hand, they cancelled the inaugural journey of a new train yesterday. This is nothing but a fresh example to dishonour to the people of Cooch Behar," the GCPA leader said.

Barman vowed to continue the stir and said that the "Union Home Ministry should send representatives here to talk over the issue or we will not withdraw our agitation".

The NF Railway spokesman said that passenger train services along Cooch Behar-New Jalpaiguri section remained suspended while several long distance trains were diverted.

The Dibrugarh-Delhi Brahmaputra Mail, however, has been cancelled due to the agitation in Cooch Behar while Awadh-Assam Express bound for Rajasthan was cancelled due to the Jat protests in Haryana, the spokesman said.

However, several other major long distance trains have been diverted via New Bongaigaon-Samoktola, Alipurduar, Siliguri and NJP junction routes, the spokesman said.

When asked about a proposal to sit for talks with the Cooch Behar district administration, Barman said he "would think over it".

A young passenger had died inside a train, which was stranded for several hours, in Cooch Behar due to the 'Rail Roko' movement yesterday.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu had yesterday appealed to the protesters in Cooch Behar and Haryana not to block railway lines or harm railway properties as it caused inconvenience to the common man.