Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch (BJSM) seeks stops of Vande Bharat sleeper express at Kokrajhar

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The Bodoland Janajati Suraksha Manch (BJSM) welcomed the decision of the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, to introduce the prestigious Vande Bharat Sleeper Express (Train Nos. 27576 Kamakhya–Howrah and 27575 Howrah–Kamakhya), scheduled to be inaugurated on January 17 by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, during his visit to Guwahati. The mancha said that this modern train service would be a matter of pride for the Northeast and a major step towards improved connectivity and development.

 The Working President of the BJSM, DD Narzary, however, expressed strong disappointment over the fact that the new Vande Bharat Sleeper Express had not been provided with a stoppage at Kokrajhar railway station. He said that the Kokrajhar railway station was not an ordinary station but was at the capital of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India and thus the political, administrative, cultural, and emotional heartland of the Bodo people. Denial of stoppage at Kokrajhar has hurt the sentiments of the indigenous Bodo community and the people of the entire Bodoland region and is widely perceived as an injustice and neglect of regional importance, he said, adding that Kokrajhar had emerged as a major educational and medical hub of western Assam. He also said that Kokrajhar was an emerging town with important educational institutions, attracting thousands of students from across India, academicians, patients, and visitors from different parts of Assam and neighbouring states. In addition, Kokrajhar and its surrounding areas are rich in natural beauty and tourist destinations, offering immense potential for eco-tourism and cultural tourism, he added.  Narzary said that despite its strategic location on the Guwahati–New Jalpaiguri route and its heavy passenger footfall, Kokrajhar had repeatedly been overlooked when it came to premium train stoppages. He said that the BJSM firmly believed that inclusive development could not be achieved if important Sixth Schedule regions were ignored in national infrastructure planning. He said that providing a stoppage of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express at Kokrajhar would not only benefit students, patients, government officials, traders, tourists, and daily commuters, but also symbolize the Government of India’s commitment to ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ and respect for the aspirations of indigenous communities.

 The BJSM urged the Ministry of Railways and the Northeast Frontier Railway authorities to immediately reconsider this issue and arrange a stoppage of the Vande Bharat Sleeper Express at Kokrajhar railway station.  Reiterating the demand for stoppage, the BJSM submitted a memorandum to the General Manager of NF Railways, Maligaon, Guwahati, on Tuesday through Kokrajhar DC. The memorandum was also sent to the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. 

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