Train services affected as Kurmis block railway tracks in Odisha's Mayurbhanj

Baripada: Train services were affected in Odisha's Mayurbhanj district on Saturday as members of the Kurmi community blocked railway tracks, demanding Scheduled Tribe status.

Hundreds of men, women and children under the banner of the Odisha Kurmi Sena blocked the railway tracks at Bhanjapur railway station.

They held the Bangirposi-Bhubaneswar Super Fast Express for over 20 minutes before being removed from the tracks, an official said.

Odisha Kurmi Sena president Divyasingh Mahanta said they were fighting for the community's constitutional rights.

Members of the group also blocked roads in some places in the district, police said.

In Odisha, Kurmis primarily reside in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, and Sundergarh districts. They are classified as Other Backwards Classes (OBC) in the state.