Protest build-up gains momentum ahead of April 7 rail dharna in Jamshedpur

Mail News Service

Jamshedpur: Preparations for the proposed April 7 protest against persistent delays of express trains at Tatanagar junction have gathered pace, with Janata Dal (United) workers intensifying outreach efforts across the city.

A series of small but impactful meetings commenced on Friday at multiple locations, mobilising public support for the upcoming dharna.

The meetings are being organised under the direction of Jamshedpur West MLA Saryu Roy, who has positioned the protest as a broader social cause rather than a political initiative.
Participants at these gatherings have openly voiced their concerns, highlighting the severe inconvenience caused by frequent train delays.

On Friday, meetings were successfully conducted in Sonari, Birsanagar, and Barigora under Parsudih, drawing encouraging participation from local residents. Many attendees expressed their willingness to actively contribute towards making the protest a success.
They criticised the Railways for prioritising freight operations while failing to address the issue of passenger train punctuality.

“While tall claims are being made about freight achievements, there is little assurance on improving train timings. Passengers continue to suffer,” several residents remarked during the discussion.

Supporters also conveyed confidence in Saryu Roy’s leadership, stating that the protest could compel the Railway Ministry to take note of their grievances. Roy has emphasised that although the initiative was started by JD(U), the issue concerns all sections of society, and people from every background are being invited to participate.

Prominent attendees at the Sonari meeting included Subodh Srivastava, Chunnu Bhumij, Neeraj Singh, Vinod Singh, Buddheshwar Karmakar, Dinesh Singh, Usha Yadav, and others.
The Barigora meeting was attended by protest convener and JD(U) Jamshedpur Mahanagar president Ajay Kumar, along with Vineet Singh and Suraj Yadav. Ashutosh Singh, president of the Barigora Bazaar Committee, also extended support to the agitation.