It took three passenger deaths for the Bengal Government to rise up to the occasion and clear the four-day-long “rail roko” staged by Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association cutting the entire north-eastern part of the country from the rest of India.
The police finally managed to drive away the agitators from Cooch Behar Railway Station area after fighting pitched battles with the GCPA demonstrators, sources said.
The police resorted to lath-charge and burst tear gas shells even as the protesters who were camping on the railway tracks since Saturday pelted stones. Some agitators were injured while three of their leaders were arrested police said.
“We have been undemocratically treated by the Government which will feel the consequence during the elections” said Bangshibadan Burman GCPA chief.
The GCPA wants the Government to implement the instrument of accession according to which the last King of Coochbehar and the Government of India had agreed to make the province a “Type C State,” Burman said and added “the people of Coochbehar have refused to be befooled anymore and we will continue this agitation until we get a solution.”
Earlier three sick passengers died for lack of medical attention even as trains were held up at various stations. The latest such death came on Monday when a woman succumbed to her illness.
“There has been a massive disruption of services and it will take time for things to normalize provided no fresh disruption takes place” a senior NF Railway official said.