Tatanagar: SER cancels 12 trains in view of Adivasi Senegal Abhiyaan agitation  

Titlagarh-Howrah Ispat Express to remain cancelled on Feb 12

Jamshedpur, Feb 11: Activists of Adivasi Senegal Abhiyaan on Saturday blocked railway tracks for several hours.  They are demanding that the Central government must approve the resolution passed in the state assembly in favour of a Sarna code. They activists carrying banners and posters in support of their demand for a separate Sarna code.

Many were shouting slogans against the Centre. 

“ We are fighting for our cause. We want that tribal communities across the country be recognised as a separate religious group and now that a resolution has been passed in the state assembly, the Central government should accept it,” said a leader.

Meanwhile, South Eastern Railway train services were affected in view of agitation at Kantadih Station in Adra Division and Khemasuli Station in Kharagpur Division since early morning today. Agitation was also staged between Mahadevsal and Posoita stations in Chakradharpur Division from 11.45 hrs. However, the reasons of agitations are not related to Railways.  As a result, the train services of SER have been regulated. The trains that were cancelled 08055 Kharagpur-Tatanagar Passenger Special,12021/12022 Howrah-Barbil-Howrah Jan Shatabdi Express, 12871 Howrah-Titlagarh Ispat Express, 08071/08072 Kharagpur-Tatanagar-Kharagpur Passenger Special, 08054 Tatanagar-Kharagpur Passenger Special, 08060/08059 Tatanagar-Kharagpur-Tatanagar Passenger Special, 12814/12813 Tatanagar-Howrah-Tatanagar Steel Express, 08160 Tatanagar-Kharagpur Passenger Special,18116/18115 Chakradharpur-Gomoh-Chakradharpur MEMU Express,18183 Tatanagar-Danapur Express, 08174 Tatanagar-Asansol Passenger Special, 08013/08014 Tatanagar-Chakradharpur-Tatanagar Passenger Special. Cancellation of Train on 12.02.2023 12872 Titlagarh-Howrah Ispat Express. 

Short Termination/Short Origination of Trains:18602/18601 Hatia-Tatanagar-Hatia Express journey commencing on 11.02.2023 will be short terminated at/short originated from Purulia.13301/13302 Dhanbad-Tatanagar-Dhanbad Express journey commencing on 11.02.2023 will be short terminated at/short originated from Adra. 08697/08698 Jhargram-Purulia-Jhargram MEMU Passenger Special journey commencing on 11.02.2023 will be short terminated at/short originated from  Barabhum. 08647/08648 Adra-Barabhum-Adra MEMU Passenger Special journey commencing on 11.02.2023 will be short terminated at/short originated from Purulia.

08652/08651 Asansol-Barabhum-Asansol MEMU Passenger Special journey commencing on 11.02.2023 will be short terminated at/short originated from Purulia.

08173/08174 Asansol-Tatanagar-Asansol Passenger Special journey commencing on 11.02.2023 will be short terminated at/short originated from Purulia.

Apart from this, few trains are running on diverted route.

Agitation has been withdrawn from Khemasuli at 12.00 hrs, from Mahadevsal at 13.00 hrs. and from Kantadih at 15.55 hrs. Normal train services are being gradually restored.

It may be mentioned that on November 11, during a special session of the state assembly, a resolution was passed for the provision of a separate ‘Sarna Code’ for members of tribal communities.

“ We want that the central government must also approve it so that in the upcoming census in 2021 there will be a separate column for the community, allowing members of these communities to identify themselves as belonging to a distinct religious community,” said another activist of Adivasi Senegal Abhiyaan.

He said that as far as demands of the tribals are concerned there is not much difference between approach and attitude of Congress and the BJP. They are not concerned about the tribals.

The demand of tribals for a separate Sarna code, also known as religion code, is centred around a separate identity. Currently, they are either included as Hindus, Christians or Muslim in the census, that does not have a separate column for their religion.

“ We are also running a public awareness campaign in various states across the country. We need to be awake to demand our right. The government convened a special assembly session and immediately passed the bill related to it and sent it to the central government. If the government does not recognize the Sarna Code we will further intensify the movement,” said the activist.