At least 55 trains were cancelled and many others diverted or ran late on time following sporadic clashes during a Kurmi protest movement in some parts of Jangalmahal throwing life out of gear in parts of Purulia and some regions of adjoining Bankura districts sources said.
The Kurmi community of Bengal mostly inhabiting in the forested areas have for long have been demanding scheduled tribe status alongside the Santhals and Mundas. Tensions that started on Saturday continued through Sunday with thousands of members of the Kurmi community blocking rail and in some areas road traffic. Police tried to stop the crowd, but the protesters broke through the barricades, allegedly pelted stones prompting the security forces to fired tear gas shells and charge batons, sources said adding many policemen were injured in the skirmish.
Purulia Superintendent of Police Abhijit Banerjee who rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control later said, “a large number of people pelted stones using railway track ballast, injuring many of our personnel. Several agitators have been taken into custody.” Incidentally the Calcutta High Court had on Thursday declared the Kurmi community’s September 20 “rail roko” programme “unconstitutional and illegal.” Earlier, the Adivasi Kurmi Samaj, an umbrella organisation for the Kurmis, had called for an indefinite rail and road blockade in Jhargram, Banukra, Paschim Medinipur and Purulia districts, as also in the tribal dominated pockets of Jharkhand and Odisha.
The incident triggered political trading of charges with the Trinamool Congress leadership blaming the BJP for igniting the protest ahead of the next year’s Assembly elections. The community that holds sway in about 35 Assembly seats in the State had organised massive protests in both 2022 and 2023 paralysing traffic movement on National Highway-6 for days on end. Subsequently they unsuccessfully fielded their own candidates in the parliamentary elections. Later they had a talk with the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who promised action. Since then nothing has happened beyond exchanging of letters between the State and the Centre.
“Providing of ST rights to the Kurmis is not in the hands of the TMC Government … we can at the best recommend for that and in fact our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had already written to the Centre recommending tribal status to the 75-lakh strong Kurmi community in three-four districts of Bengal,” a TMC MLA said requesting anonymity.
“It is the BJP which is playing cards from behind … having delayed the decision they are not inciting a Kurmi movement before the elections because they are fast losing base in the Jangalmahal area,” the MLA said adding, “the Chief Minister has asked the party leaders not to speak out of turn… whatever has to be said will be said by the leadership after the Pujas.”
According to the Kurmi leadership the community was included in the ST list in the 1931 census, but in the new list prepared in 1950, the names of other tribes remained while only the Kurmis were removed. “They have included us with the non-tribal Kurmi community which leaves in many parts of India and are mostly OBSs … but anthropologically we are different … those Kurmis are basically farmers and … we follow the tribal Sarna religion --- which is worshipping the nature,” one of the Kurmi leaders said.
Both the Kurmis and Santhals formed a formidable vote bank of the Left Front till 2009. However they shifted side from 2011 and backed the TMC. However, in subsequent years the BJP found a toehold in the area from 2018 onwards leading to a struggle for space between the TMC and the saffron party. With the Kurmis enjoying a sizeable population both the parties have been trying to use them.