RANCHI: Agitation of Tana Bhagats on the railway tracks at Tori Junction in Latehar continued for the second consecutive day on Thursday.
Tana Bhagats, known for peaceful protests and following non-violence ideology of Mahatma Gandhi, for the first time have taken to streets, demanding land rights and amendment of the Chotanagpur Tenancy Act.
Over 250 Tana Bhagats are demonstrating at Tori Junction by performing puja, singing bhajans, and cooking food on the railway tracks affecting the movement of several goods trains as well as New Delhi-Ranchi Rajdhani Express which remained stranded at Daltonganj railway station for several hours.
The Tana Bhagats are also demanding stopping of coal mining in Jharkhand, which, they say, is largely responsible for the drainage of mineral resources to the other states. Besides, the community is demanding land leases and pension for the role played by the sect in the freedom struggle.
According to the Tana Bhagat sect, even after so many years of independence, they have not been given their due. The government is not taking them seriously, they claimed.
“We are not going to move out of here till either the President of India, Governor or Chief Minister comes to us for talks,” shouted an agitating Tana
Bhagat. Several governments came and went, but their demands have not been fulfilled, he added.
Local MLA Baijnath Ram tried to pacify them but they were not ready to put their foot back this time. They even ignored the warning given by district administration saying holding demonstrations and mass gathering are illegal under the Disaster Management Act.
Meanwhile, Divisional Railways Manager Anil Kumar Mishra held a press conference saying that the issue of Tana Bhagat is related to the state government and Railways has nothing to do with it.
“Railways has nothing to do with the issues raised by Tana Bhagat and is related to the state government,” said Mishra. Meanwhile, all the 930 passengers of Rajdhani Express were ferried to Ranchi by the district administration through 36 buses, he added.
Mishra further said the Ranchi-New Delhi Express along with more than 15-20 goods trains were diverted through Bokaro.