The Samyukt Kisan Morcha’s six-hour ‘rail roko’ protest on Monday over the Lakhimpur violence affected 150 locations in the Northern Railway zone and hindered the running of 60 trains, said its chief public relation officer (CPRO).
In the North Western Railway (NWR) zone, rail traffic was affected in some sections in Rajasthan and Haryana with 18 trains cancelled, 10 partially cancelled and one diverted due to the protest.
The trains that have been affected in the Northern Railway zone include the Chandigarh-Ferozepur Express. Its scheduled departure from Ludhiana was 7 am, but has been stranded there due to a blockade in the Ferozpur-Ludhiana section, the official said.
The New Delhi-Amritsar Shatabdi Express was halted near Shambu station as protesters blocked railway tracks near Sahnewal and Rajpura.
“So far, 150 locations in the Northern Railway zone have been affected and operations of 60 trains hindered. About 25 passenger and short distance trains have been cancelled,” the Northern Railway CPRO said.
In Rajasthan, farmers held a protest on the tracks in Hanumangarh district and at the entrance of Jaipur Junction station and raised slogans against the Central and the Uttar Pradesh governments.
An NWR spokesperson said rail traffic on Bhiwani-Rewari, Sirsa-Rewari, Loharu-Hisar, Suratgarh-Bathinda, Sirsa-Bathinda, Hanumangarh-Bathinda, Rohtak-Bhiwani, Rewari-Sadulpur, Hisar-Bathinda, Hanumangarh-Sadulpur and Sri Ganganagar-Rewari sections was affected.
Eighteen trains, including the Firozpur-Hanumangarh Special train, Ludhiana-Hisar Special train, Bathinda-Sriganganagar Special train, Bathinda-Lalgarh Special train, Phulera-Rewari Special train, Rewari-Jodhpur Special train, Ratangarh-Churu special train and Churu-Bikaner special train, were cancelled on Monday, he said.
Ten trains have been partially cancelled due to the stir. The route of Ahmedabad-Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra Special train has also been changed, the NWR spokesperson said, adding the train which departed from Ahmedabad on Saturday will run via Rewari-Delhi-Pathankot to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra.
The SKM, an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions, said it has made it clear that, “until justice is not done in the Lakhimpur Kheri case, the agitation will not only continue but will intensify further”.
“There will be a 6-hour rail roko protest on Monday, under which rail services will be disrupted across India from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rail roko will be completely peaceful and there will be no damage to railway property,” it said in a statement.
The SKM has also appealed to all its constituents to strictly follow the guidelines.
Rajveer Singh Jadoun, Uttar Pradesh President of the Bhartiya Kisan Union, told IANS: “We have drawn up the outline of the Rail Roko agitation. Necessary guidelines have been issued to the farmer leaders of all the districts.”
“At the district level, our farmers will go to railway stations and disrupt rail services,” he added.
Nine people, including four farmers, had died in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3. Farmers were allegedly mowed down by a vehicle linked to the minister. The incident sparked a deadly violence in which angry farmers allegedly lynched some people in the vehicles.
Farmers have claimed that Ashish Misra, son of the Union Minister, was in one of the vehicles which mowed down farmers. However, Ashish Misra has denied the allegation. He was taken into custody on October 9.
According to SKM, with Ajay Misra continuing to be the Minister, justice cannot be ensured in this case.
High level railway officials had discussed the matter with the security forces regarding the safety of passengers.
(With inputs from IANS, PTI)
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