The Special Shramik train from Gurugram to the north-east at Katihar Junction on May 24 evening.
• RPF provides security from Katihar to NJP
• Train expected to reach Dimapur Monday evening
Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 24
Passengers bound for the north-east in the Special Shramik train from Gurugram was in for a distressing experience as it crossed Bihar today. The train had moved from Gurugram on May 22 with over 1300 passengers, including 426 bound for Nagaland.
But as it stopped at the Danapur railway station, near Bihar’s capital Patna, people waiting at the platform tried to get in while threatening to vandalise it. Unable to get in, window panes were broken. According to sources quoting passenger accounts, the harassment did not stop there. Like the lack of water and food was not enough, the train made several stops between the Patna to Katihar route during which more people got in and off wherever it stopped and stopping the train by pulling the emergency chain. Stones were also pelted by people angry at not being allowed in.
“It seems they pelted stones at many trains not just at our particular train. They wanted to get on but could not and also because they felt their train was being made to wait, while others were made to advance.”
The stone pelting culminated as the train neared Katihar where the police finally intervened. It was only at Katihar that a semblance of security was restored. By that time, top Bihar government officials were alerted and the Railway Protection Force entered the scene.
The Nodal Officer for Nagaland domiciles stranded in other states, Shanavas C, when contacted by The Morung Express, said that the Nagaland state government has taken up the matter with the authorities in Bihar. The train was at the Katihar junction at around 6:00 pm and was expected to reach Dimapur on Monday evening.
Another Nagaland government source informed that RPF personnel boarded at the Katihar station to escort the train till New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. He added that there was no report of any passenger in the special train getting injured.
Both the officials attributed the day’s harrowing experience as an upshot of a congested rail line in the UP-Bihar corridor.
Meanwhile, the Nagaland government posted a tweet sometime past 5:00 pm stating that the Railway Ministry has informed that the UP-Bihar line was congested because of several Shramik trains converging on that line. It made no mention of the harrowing experience the passengers had to endure and the issue of security.
“As informed by the Ministry of Railways in their Twitter handle, 80 % of the trains out of the many Shramik special trains operated by the Indian Railways were bound for the destinations in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. As all the trains were converging to one route, network congestion is being experienced on NCR and WCR zones, including the Special train from Gurugram to Dimapur,” it said.
It requested the passengers to bear with the inconvenience as the State Government has taken up the issue of food and other necessary arrangements with the Indian Railways and IRCTC.
Nagaland Bhojpuri Samaj condemns
The Nagaland Bhojpuri Samaj expressed shock at the day’s incident in Bihar. “Though the unruly passengers were forced to vacate, it caused a lot of mental and physical harassment to the travellers. We strongly condemn this rowdyism,” the Samaj said in a press release.
It requested the state Government of Bihar and the Railway authorities “to sternly deal with such elements and ensure the safety of NE passengers.”
It further mentioned IPS officer Robin Hibu, whom, it said, informed top police officials in Bihar and UP to “take care of the passengers travelling to the NE.”
