Rail roko movements in Cooch Behar, Kokrajhar affect train movement

COOCH BEHAR/GUWAHATI: Railway services were today affected due to blockades on separate issues at Cooch Behar in West Bengal and Kokrajhar in Assam with long distance trains diverted or stranded at several stations.

While the Greater Cooch Behar People's Association (GCPA) activists were squatting on the tracks for the third day at New Cooch Behar railway station, Adivasi National Convention Committee members began a five-hour railway blockade at Kokrajhar railway station from 8 AM.

As a result of Kokrajhar blockade, all down trains including Rajdhani Express have been controlled at New Bongaigaon station in Assam while all up trains have been held up in different stations of North Bengal including Alipurduar, an Northeast Frontier Railway zone spokesman said in Guwahati, the NFR headquarters.

The GCPA is demanding union territory status or C-Category statehood for Cooch Behar and the Adivasi National Convention Committee protested in supported for an immediate ST status for Adivasis of Assam.

The GCPA stir, which began from 6 AM on Saturday, at New Cooch Behar station on the Cooch Behar-New Jalpaiguri section, was still on with it's chief, Bangshi Badan Barman, sticking to his stand.

"We are staying at New Cooch Behar for three days but no one came to talk with us. On the other hand, they cancelled the inaugural journey of a new train yesterday. This is nothing but a fresh example to dishonour to the people of Cooch Behar," the GCPA leader told PTI.

Barman vowed to continue the stir and said that the "Union Home Ministry should send representatives here to talk over the issue or we will not withdraw our agitation."