Listen to this article:

“Release the innocent. Conduct a genuine investigation. Bring to justice those who were responsible for the Kotshila Rail Roko unrest.” 

Countless members of the Kurmi community across several villages in the Kotshila police station area of Purulia district, West Bengal, have renewed this demand regarding the protests they held in September last year, in which several members clashed with the police.

A few days ago, the BJP-led government in West Bengal announced to the media that the administrative actions taken during the rail blockade agitation in Kotshila would be reviewed afresh. However, the people most affected by those actions say they know nothing about such a decision. No representative from the police, rail or general administration has visited their villages to communicate this or explain what the review process entails.

This is the second time The Wire visited villages in the Kotshila region. In a previous detailed report, published on October 7, 2025, this reporter documented the allegations of police violence during the rail blockade movement. 

At the time, an atmosphere of extreme fear prevailed across the Kurmi villages. Most men had fled their homes to avoid arrest, leaving only women and children behind. A haunting silence hung over the villages. 

Sadhana Mahato of Jiudaru village. Her son Sahadeb Mahato was arrested in last year’s protest. Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee

The residents have repeatedly described themselves as victims of severe police repression and many of them allege that they were subjected to inhuman treatment, and sent to jail despite having committed no offence.

Yudhishthir Mahato, a resident of Chitorpur village in Kotshila, told that The Wire report had helped the protests gain ground.

“We took the report to the then Superintendent of Police in Purulia, Abhijit Banerjee. It was largely on the basis of [The Wire’s] report that people from outside the area showed solidarity, demanding the release of those they believed were innocent. Faced with mounting public scrutiny and pressure, the police were eventually compelled to halt their one-sided crackdown.

“Those who had been arrested were ultimately granted bail. Bringing a measure of relief to families who had endured months of fear, uncertainty and anguish,” he added.

What happened on September 20?

In pursuit of official recognition for their distinct Kurmi language – Kurmali bhasa – and their long-standing demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, several organisations representing the Kurmi community called for a nationwide rail blockade on September 20 last year. 

Locally termed ‘Rail toka’, the protest was envisioned as a powerful assertion of the community’s identity and constitutional rights.

However, in the days leading up to the agitation, a widespread police crackdown was launched allegedly on members of the Kurmi community in Kotshila and several neighbouring villages in Purulia district of West........

© The Wire