Railway passengers from Assam and North Bengal had a harrowing time on Monday due to the rail blockade by many adivasi organizations including the Jharkhand Disom Party. Thousands of railway passengers were held up at several stations of West Bengal and Bihar due to the blockade.
The movement of over a dozen trains was disrupted from 6 am on Monday morning causing inconvenience to the passengers. Brahmaputra Mail and several other trains were stopped at Malda junction. Due to the blockade the Guwahati-Howrah Saraighat Express remained stranded at Kishanganj in Bihar. Several other North Bengal bound trains were stopped at Old Malda and Gajal stations.
Several tribal organizations including Jharkhand Disom Party declared Bharat Bandh and rail blockade against the Kharkhand government on Monday. The agitators demands include land reform act, jobs etc.
Passengers have alleged that despite having prior information the railway authorities did nothing for the smooth movement of trains during the agitation.
Jharkhand Disom Party was founded in 2002 by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Salkhan Murmu. The party works for the rights of the Adivasi people. For example the party works for more quotas and reservations for Adivasis.
In 2003, JDP launched the Jharkhand Front together with four other parties, namely Jharkhand People’s Party, Jharkhand Party (Naren), Jharkhand Party (Horo) and Jharkhand Vikas Dal.
In the Lok Sabha elections in 2004, the JDP launched four candidates from West Bengal, two from Bihar and one from Jharkhand.
In August 2014, Salkhan Murmu merged his Jharkhand Disom Party into the BJP in presence of former Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda.