Kurmi community starts rail blockade in Jharkhand and West Bengal, demanding ST status

Hazaribagh (Jharkhand) [India], September 20 (ANI): The Kurmi community in Hazaribagh district on Saturday launched a high-voltage "Rail Roko" protest at Charhi railway station, bringing rail operations to a complete standstill from 8 AM onwards.
Led by Mandu MLA Tiwari Mahto, thousands of men, women, and youth squatted on the tracks, flooding the station premises and halting all train movements in a dramatic show of defiance.
The sudden agitation caught passengers off guard, with several trains screeching to a halt and commuters left stranded for hours amid growing frustration.
Railway authorities have swung into high alert, deploying additional personnel to manage the crisis, while the local administration has mobilised heavy security forces to monitor the situation closely.

Protesters, undeterred by the deployment, raised slogans highlighting years of alleged neglect faced by the community. Their primary demands include the inclusion of the Kurmi community in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) list and official recognition of the Kurmali language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
"We have endured discrimination for decades; now, raising our voice is not a choice but a necessity," asserted community members.
One member expressed, "We have completed our education, but what have we gained? Nothing. We haven't secured good jobs, and we want to ensure a better future for our children. The benefits that Scheduled Tribes (ST) receive through quotas are not available to Other Backwards Classes (OBC), so we are demanding that our community be granted ST status."
Addressing the gathering, Mandu MLA Tiwari Mahto vowed to sustain the stir until the state and central governments deliver concrete assurances.
"This is a peaceful protest, but it will intensify if our legitimate demands are ignored. The government must act decisively," he declared.

The blockade, part of a broader wave of similar agitations announced by Kurmi organisations across Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha starting September 20, has electrified the region and posed a significant challenge to authorities. Past efforts to secure ST status have been repeatedly rebuffed in legislative forums, fueling renewed calls for action.
In Jamshedpur, regarding the Kurmi community's planned 'Rail-Roko' protest, Railway Protection Force (RPF) Officer Jitendra Chandra Das stated, "No one has entered since morning. A few women attempted to come in but were turned away at the gates. So far, some local trains have passed through without any disruptions. We are monitoring the situation using drones."
In West Bengal, the Kurmi community, led by state president Rajesh Mahato, plans to conduct 'Rail Roko' protests and road blockades in Purulia, Bankura, Jhargram, and Paschim Medinipur. They are demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the tribal Kurmi community. Police have been deployed to monitor the situation. (ANI)