The agitation by the Kurmi community demanding Scheduled Tribe status turned violent at Kotshila railway station in West Bengal's Purulia on Saturday. While the situation remained normal through the morning under heavy police deployment, tension flared suddenly around 4 pm when thousands of agitators forced their way into the station premises, crossing the railway tracks and reaching platform number two.
Police tried to stop the crowd, but the protesters broke through the barricades. As the situation escalated, security forces resorted to baton charges and fired tear gas shells. The agitators retaliated with heavy stone pelting, leaving several policemen injured. The railway police help desk and other station property were also damaged in the chaos.
Purulia Superintendent of Police Abhijit Bandyopadhyay rushed to the spot with additional forces and brought the situation under control. "A large number of people pelted stones using railway track ballast, injuring many of our personnel. Several agitators have been taken into custody. The situation is now under control," the SP said.
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday declared the Kurmi community's September 20 rail and road blockade "unconstitutional and illegal". The agitation was called to press the demand for Scheduled Tribe status.
The court's ruling came on a petition filed by the Purulia Chamber of Trade and Industry, which had challenged the proposed blockade. Following the verdict, the Purulia District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police jointly held a press conference. They appealed to citizens not to join the protest and warned of strict legal action against anyone violating the order. Police officials said full preparations are in place to prevent disruptions.
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