Cooch Behar/ Alipurduar: The Jorai Railway Station in Cooch Behar witnessed a major disruption on Wednesday as the Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association (GCPA) staged a ‘Rail roko’ (blockade) movement, demanding a separate state. The protest, which began at 6:45 am, brought Rail connectivity between North East India and the rest of the country to a standstill.
The agitation resulted in the cancellation of 4 trains, including Vande Bharat Express and the rerouting of others by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR). Thousands of GCPA supporters, gathered from various districts of North Bengal, assembled at Jorai Station on Tuesday evening. The demonstration began early Wednesday morning with a special Puja and a procession before they emerged on the Railway tracks to stop the trains. The agitation continued until 11:45 am when GCPA leader Banshi Badan Barman called off the protest following discussions with Railway officials.
Speaking about the protest, Barman said: “A meeting has been held with Railway officials regarding our demands. They have received our memorandum, which will be forwarded to Delhi. We have requested a meeting with the Union Home minister at the earliest. They have assured us they will take our demands seriously. If our issues are not addressed, we will intensify our agitation in the coming days.” The GCPA’s two-point demand centres on the creation of a separate state, a cause they claim has been ignored by the Central government.
Ravi Teja, Divisional Commercial Manager of the Alipurduar Division, who mediated with the protestors, stated: “We have accepted the memorandum from Banshi Badan Barman and will ensure it is forwarded promptly. A response will be provided as soon as possible and we will keep them informed.”
The Rail Roko caused significant disruptions. Nine key down trains, including the Rajdhani Express, Capital Express and Kamrup Express and two up trains were diverted via Golakganj and Fakiragram stations in Assam. Passengers from New Alipurduar Station were particularly affected, as many arrived to find their trains unavailable.
To mitigate the inconvenience, the Alipurduar Division arranged transportation for stranded passengers. Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of NFR, said: “Around 500 passengers from New Alipurduar station were transported to New Cooch Behar station using six buses and several small vehicles to help them board their trains. A help desk was set up at the station to assist passengers and efforts were made to minimise inconvenience.”
After the protest concluded at 11:45 am, Railway officials inspected the tracks and normal rail operations resumed shortly thereafter.