RailEnquiry

Kokrajhar/Dhubri : Train services were severely affected for several hours today during the All Bodo Students Union (Absu)-sponsored blockade, organised to put pressure on the government on various demands related to Bodo-medium schools. Several trains, including Rajdhani Express, North East Express, Saraighat Express, Trivandrum Express and other passenger trains were stranded at several railway stations for over seven hours, putting commuters through severe hardships. The 2423 Down Rajdhani, 5960 Down Kamrup Express, 2505 Down North East Express were detained at Guwahati railway station, while the 2516 Down Trivandrum Express was held at Rangia, the 2501 Down Champak Kranti Express at Kamakhya, 2345 Up Saraighat Express at New Alipurduar, 5959 Up Kamrup Express and 4069 Up Brahmaputra Mail at New Jalpaiguri railway station, 5969 Up Lumding Intercity at Kokrajhar. Two passenger trains ' BG Passenger and Kamakhya Intercity were cancelled. The blockade, which began at 5am, was cleared at noon after the protesters courted arrested under Section 151 CrPC. Thousands of Absu workers, students and supporters blocked railway tracks at several places, including Kokrajhar, Gossaigaon, Bijni, Kumardunga (Dangtol), Rangia and Dudnoi. The blockade was organised to push for these demands. Justifying the demands, Absu president Promode Boro, who participated the blockade in Kokrajhar, said their demand was legal and justified, as they had just demanded the right to education. Absu has been demanding establishment of a separate directorate for Bodo medium, appointment of teachers in Bodo-medium schools under Section 29 (2) (F) of the RTE Act, 2009, which states that teachers should be appointed in all vernacular schools, provincialisation of venture Bodo medium schools under Section 6 of the RTE Act, 2009, which says all vernacular schools should be provincialised and a separate TET examination for Bodo-medium students. AKRSU strike lifted The 48-hour Assam strike called called by the All Koch Rajbongshi Students' Union (AKRSU) was lifted today after its president, Hitesh Barman, was released in the morning. Barman was arrested yesterday for leading a national highway blockade. The strike was called to demand his release. Earlier, a vehicle was torched at Baroghar between Choraikhola and Salakati in Kokrajhar on the first day of the strike. The car was on its way to Kokrajhar from Salakati when it was stopped by AKRSU activists who set it on fire. No one was injured. The strike evoked mixed responses in four BTC districts of Kokrajhar, Chirang, Baksa and Udalguri. With public transport off the road, conveyance was affected. Most of the business establishments, markets and shops remained closed in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Udalguri. Education institutions and offices, however, remained open. The strike had little impact in Baksa. The impact of the strike was felt in Dhubri, Bongaigaon, Barpeta, Nalbari and Goalpara as vehicles stayed off the road while business establishments downed shutters in Bongaigaon and New Bongaigaon of Bongaigaon district, Bilasipara and Golokganj in Dhubri district. Police and security officials escorted five sorties of convoys consisting of 20 to 25 vehicles in each trip from Chagolia inter-state checkgate of Dhubri district to Bahalpur inter-district boundary with Bongaigaon, a police source in Chagolia said.