Bengal Police arrest 29 for attacking cops during Kurmi agitation

Kolkata, Sep 22 (IANS) The police have arrested 29 people belonging to the Kurmi community in West Bengal's Purulia district for attacking cops during an agitation at Kotshila railway station, said the officials on Monday.

At least six police personnel, including two IPS officers, were injured during a violent protest by members of the Kurmi community on Saturday, who blocked railway tracks at the Kotshila station in Purulia district, demanding Scheduled Tribe status. Some protesters were also injured when the police resorted to a lathi charge and used tear gas to disperse the mob.

Purulia Superintendent of Police Abhijit Banerjee said that normalcy has returned to Kotshila station after police stopped the agitation.

The tribal Kurmi community, however, alleged that police unleashed a reign of terror on them in the name of controlling the agitation.

According to tribal Kurmi community sources, the anti-terror meeting will be held at the taxi stand in Purulia city on October 5 after the Durga Puja. They will also submit a memorandum to the DM and SP on that day.

Meanwhile, the Kotshila station of the Adra division of the South Eastern Railway is gradually returning to normalcy after the attack on the police.

Leader of the Adivasi Kurmi Samaj in West Bengal, Ajit Prasad Mahato, said, "There is widespread police terror on our leaders, workers and supporters. That is why the leaders, workers and supporters have taken shelter in different places. The police stopped our leaders, workers and supporters in the name of naka checking at different places. That is why they could not put up a road blockade. Therefore, we will hold an anti-police terror meeting at the taxi stand of Purulia city on October 5."

On the other hand, Purulia Superintendent of Police Abhijit Banerjee said, “The situation is under control since. There was no blockade anywhere. As a result, no trains were stopped. The agitators, with children and women in front, pelted stones at us from the railway tracks. That is why we were late in taking action. Several of our police personnel were injured."

Purulia District Police said that they took action as per the orders of the Calcutta High Court.

On Thursday, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court upheld its previous order of 2023 and directed the Indian Railways authorities as well as the West Bengal government to take appropriate action so that the rail blockade movement on September 20 by the people from the Kurmi community does not affect normal life in the state on that day.

Last month, Adivasi Kurmi Samaj, the largest association of the Kurmi Community, gave a call for a rail blockade in the tribal-dominated pockets in the three states of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha, demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the community.

--IANS

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