North Indians to block trains for enhanced train connectivity on April 26

Surat: The Uttar Bharatiya Rail Sangarsh Samiti (UBRSS) will be holding a ‘rail roko andolan’ on April 26 to protest against central government and the railway ministry for not accepting its long-pending demands of providing more trains for safe and easy travel of thousands of north Indian migrants residing in the Diamond City.

UBRSS office-bearers said the rail roko andolan will be held at Surat railway station on April 26. Their supporters will block the railway tracks at Surat railway station demanding more trains for migrant population in the city.

UBRSS member Shaan Khan said, “Migrants from north Indian states have given their sweat and blood for the prosperity of Surat. Despite this, the migrants are treated as second-class citizens. Due to lesser trains towards north Indian states, migrants have to travel in trains like herd of sheep. Many have lost their lives and suffered injuries. Still the railway ministry is not ready to allot more trains from Surat to north India destinations.”

Khan added, “Last year, we had organized a mammoth rally and that our leaders were manhandled at Surat railway station when they had gone to submit a memorandum to the then Union minister of state for railways Manoj Sinha.”

UBRSS leaders, including Anoop Rajput, Yajuvendra Dubey, Shaan Khan, Ajay Baba and a few others, were prevented from entering the venue where Manoj Sinha had come to flag off Mahamna Express in September 2017. After verbal exchanges, the UBRSS leaders were manhandled and beaten up by supporters of Navsari MP C R Paatil. A few journalists were also beaten up.

Later in December 2017, Paatil had announced the inaugural run of trains namely Bandra-Patna Humsafar Express and Bandra-Gorakhpur Antyodaya Express at Surat and Udhna railway stations following agitation by north Indians.