Mahishasan station is under siege by Sribhumi residents due to the stopped rail service to Silchar.

B O news Desk : Hundreds of locals gathered at Mahishasan railway station near the Indo-Bangladesh border in Sribhumi district on Monday, demanding the resumption of regular rail services to Silchar, which have remained suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Protesters, under the banner of a “Rail Roko” demonstration, raised slogans against the government and disrupted operations by lying down on the tracks. Several others surrounded the station master’s office, expressing their frustration over the long-pending issue.

Locals also criticised the government for prioritising cross-border railway connectivity with Bangladesh while ignoring the basic transport needs of its own citizens. Local police were deployed to control the situation and remove protesters from the railway tracks, working to prevent any escalation.

Kayum Talukdar, a local resident and protester, emphasised the urgent need for regular passenger train services in the region, pointing to the area’s diverse population and limited connectivity.

“Our concern is simple — why have our train services not resumed? This region depends on that lone train line. Students, workers, patients, and employees all need to reach Silchar regularly,” Talukdar told our Barakoutlet Correspondent. He also highlighted the high cost of alternative travel. “Without train services, we’re forced to pay much more. If the regular services resume, it will ease the burden on many,” he said. Talukdar criticised the authorities for failing to act despite repeated appeals. “The government took our land for the railway, promising connectivity in return. 

We’re just asking for two passenger trains daily — one in the morning, one in the evening,” he continued. Reportedly, multiple memorandums have been sent to ministers and officials over the years, including letters to the Prime Minister, Railway Minister, and the Area Manager of the Badarpur railway division. “The district administration and police keep assuring us that they’ll speak to the concerned authorities and resolve the issue in a week or 15 days. But we’ve been waiting and talking for four years now — nothing has changed,” he added. The two-hour-long protest was eventually called off after the Area Manager assured that the matter would be escalated to the Divisional Railway Office in Lumding and to senior officials in New Delhi.

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