Dawn-to-dusk tribal bandh disrupts raiwaly services

KOLKATA: At least three express trains, including Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express, Puri-New Delhi Purushottam Express had to be diverted on Monday due to a dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the Jharkhand Disom Party. The Dibrugarh-Lalgarh Avadh Assam Express and Kamrup Express were held up at Jalpaiguri's Raninagar station and Assam Srirampur stations for about five hours. Another eight passenger trains were cancelled and five other passenger trains in the Adra division had to be short-terminated due to blockades by bandh supporters.

The Jharkhand Disom Party called the bandh demanding recognition of the "Sarna dharma" (worshiping the woods) as part of the indigenous religion in the Chhoto Nagpur Plateau. The Kurmis from West Bengal and Jharkhand have been fighting for the recognition of their dharma like the religion of the Santhals and the Mundas in the Plateau. The Disom Party accused both the Centre and state governments of not giving fillip to the tribal languages after they got included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. JDP supporters were also against inclusion of some non-adivasi people under the scheduled tribe (ST) category.

The Adivasi Kurmi Samaj has been fighting for the ST status for the Kurmis (mainly Mahatos) in West Bengal, who are proponents of the Sarna dharma.