Bongaigaon, Feb. 22: The Adivasi National Convention (ANC) cut short its 12-hour rail blockade at Kokrajhar and Udalguri stations in lower Assam today by nearly five-and-a-half hours after submitting a memorandum to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal through the Kokrajhar deputy commissioner.
The ANC, a joint forum of 10 Adivasi groups, called the blockade from 6am today, seeking various demands to be met but following a request from the district administration, it was called off at 12.30pm. The long-distance trains were delayed by the blockade.
ANC's demands included inclusion of Adivasis (Santhal, Oraons, Kharia, Munda, Gonds, Sawras, Kishan, Lohras, Kol, Bhils, Porjas, Bedias, Mirdhas and the like) in Scheduled Tribes list, political solution to the issues of Adivasi militant groups that have entered into a truce with the government, rehabilitation and allotment of land and land documents to the Adivasi and tea garden workers who had been evicted.
"We will launch a 100-hour blockade of national highways from March 22 if we don't get any response from the Prime Minister and the chief minister regarding our demands," ANC general secretary Birsing Munda said.
According to Munda, over 20,000 Adivasi families in Kokrajhar and Chirang were yet to be rehabilitated with due benefits after they were evicted by the state forest department. The Adivasi population in Assam is over 35 lakh, the ANC leaders claimed.
The 15771 Alipurduar Junction-Kamakhya Intercity Express, 15772 Kamakhya-Alipurduar Junction Intercity Express, 15769 Alipurduar Junction-Lumding Intercity Express, 15770 Lumding-Alipurduar Junction Intercity Express, 55811 Dhubri-Kamakhya passenger, 55812 Kamakhya-Dhubri passenger, 55753 Alipurduar Junction-Guwahati Intercity Express and the 55754 Guwahati-Alipurduar Junction Intercity Express were cancelled because of the blockade.
Eight more trains were controlled at New Alipurduar, New Coochbehar, Gossaigaon Hut, New Bongaigaon, Barpeta Road and Rangiya stations.
