Kurmis lift blockade over ST tag at Kustaur on the fifth day, protest in Khemasuli continues

The blockade of railway tracks at Kustaur station in West Bengal's Purulia district by the Kurmi community to press for its demands, including for ST tag, was lifted on Sunday on the fifth day of the stir.

The blockade of railway tracks at Khemasuli in Paschim Medinipur district, however, continued as of now.

The agitation since April 5 has led to the cancellation of hundreds of express and passenger trains.

Kurmi leader Ajit Mahato said the stir was being withdrawn at Kustaur at present but it may be intensified in the future after discussion among the leadership.

"Our demands have not been accepted as yet, but we are withdrawing the agitation for the time being," Mahato, who was seated on the railway tracks at Kustaur along with other protesters, told reporters.

The blockade at the two railway stations led to cancellation of nearly 500 express and passenger trains since April 5, causing immense hardship to thousands of passengers, a South Eastern Railway official said.

Agitators at Khemasuli said they were awaiting direction from their leadership about continuation of the agitation.

Scores of super fast and express trains connecting various destinations in the country with West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand have been cancelled over the last five days.

Among those cancelled were New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, Howrah-Pune-Howrah Duronto Express, Howrah-Ahmeadabad Express, Howrah-Mumbai-Howrah Mail and Alappuzha-Dhanbad Express.

The Kurmis have been agitating over a string of demands including recognition as a Scheduled Tribe, recognition of Sarna religion and inclusion of Kurmali language in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.

Organisations claiming to represent the interest of the Kurmi people, who are based mainly in the Chotanagpur plateau covering Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal, had in September 2022, also resorted to a five-day long blockade of railway tracks at these two stations over similar demands.