Jharkhand Agnipath Protests: Train Disruptions and Police Action

Strategic Insights -

Protesters, primarily consisting of army job aspirants, took to the streets across Jharkhand, including major cities like Bokaro, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Palamau, and Deoghar, in response to the Agnipath recruitment scheme in the armed forces. The protests led to disruptions in train services, with nearly 200 youths blocking the NH-75 in Palamau, and over 300 youths squating on the railway tracks in Bokaro. In some areas, police had to resort to mild lathicharge to disperse the agitators, resulting in stone-pelting by the protesters. The disruptions caused delays and cancellations of several major trains, including the Calcutta-Jammu Tawi Express, Dehri-on-Sone-Barkakhana Express, and Dhanbad-Asansol Express. The protests, which began on Thursday, continued on Friday, with protesters marching over 10km and carrying placards alleging that the Agnipath scheme has been brought to please the big corporate groups.

Key Takeaways:

  • Protesters disrupted train services across Jharkhand, including major cities Bokaro, Dhanbad, Jamshedpur, Palamau, and Deoghar, in response to the Agnipath recruitment scheme.
  • Nearly 200 youths blocked the NH-75 in Palamau, while over 300 youths squatted on the railway tracks in Bokaro, causing disruptions to train services.
  • Police had to resort to mild lathicharge in some areas, resulting in stone-pelting by the protesters, and six youths were detained in Bokaro before being released on PR bond in the evening.
  • Over a thousand youths sat on the railway track of coal town Dhanbad station disrupting train movement, with heavy rains prompting the agitators to leave.
  • Protesters blocked NH-100 and NH-33 by burning tyres and sitting on the road, carrying placards alleging that the Agnipath scheme has been brought to please the big corporate groups.
  • Protests were also held along the Jugsalai railway crossing near Tatangar railway station in Jamshedpur, where senior police officials attempted to pacify the agitators at the nearby Jugsalai police station.

Statistics:

  • Nearly 200 youths blocked the NH-75 in Palamau.
  • Over 300 youths squatted on the railway tracks in Bokaro.
  • Six youths were detained in Bokaro before being released on PR bond in the evening.
  • Over a thousand youths sat on the railway track of coal town Dhanbad station.
  • Several trains originating from Jharkhand were delayed or short-terminated, while those coming from outside states were cancelled.
  • Major trains cancelled include Calcutta-Jammu Tawi Express, Dehri-on-Sone-Barkakhana Express, Dhanbad-Asansol Express, and Dehri-On-Sone--Dhanbad Express.
  • Trains delayed include Dhanbad-Alleppey and Jhargram-Dhanbad Express.

Sources:

  • "Jharkhand Agnipath Protests: Train Disruptions and Police Action" was taken from a news report by ABP Private Limited, distributed by Contify.com, in 2022