Bengal train passengers travelling via Prayagraj bear brunt of Kumbh rush
Times of India | 12 February 2025
Kolkata: Several passengers travelling on long-distance Howrah- and Kolkata-bound trains passing through Prayagraj complained of being harassed by local ticket-less commuters in reserved compartments. Many of these passengers, who alleged harassment, were returning from Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and took to social media to vent their anguish over the harrowing times they experienced on board the trains.
The rush of pilgrims for Kumbh Mela triggered overcrowding in trains passing through Prayagraj Chheoki Junction station. Commuters alleged that passengers without tickets occupied their reserved seats and engaged in brawls and altercations with them.
A team of 24 performers from Kolkata, who went to Bhopal for a show at Bharat Rang Mahotsav at the invitation of the Ministry of culture, returned home traumatised on Monday. "We were attacked for being Bengalis. The people from UP abused us," said Bishwarup Chatterjee, a resident of Dum Dum and a member of the team travelling on Shipra Express, which runs between Indore and Howrah via Prayagraj. They lodged a complaint at Howrah station.
"The ordeal started about 9 km before the train chugged into Prayagraj. The train was halting, and the RPF allowed people to get into the AC coach. As we protested, some ticket-less passengers shoved us, and one of our women members got injured. At Gomoh, they looked for us by lighting a torch. We covered ourselves under bed sheets in fear, not wanting to be recognised," Chatterjee recounted. "Back home, I got a call from state minister Bratya Baasu and MLA Sougata Roy, who enquired about our well-being," he added.
Krishna Sarkar (77), who was in the same train, said, "I returned alone after getting lost from my group at Prayagraj. The UP Police and RPF put me in the AC 3-tier coach. They told me to use the toilet early and sit in one corner as there was a rush. I did not know what was in store for me."
An ER spokesperson said, "Two or three stray incidents might have happened, but the railway authorities, including GRP and RPF, are keeping an eye." Asked about the grievances of commuters, Raghuveer Chokka, senior commissioner, RPF, Howrah division, told TOI: "The rush for Prayagraj is unprecedented this year. We are monitoring the situation to avoid any untoward incident."
Murshidabad resident Srikanta Maji, who boarded Farakka Express for Prayagraj, had to get down at Patna on Tuesday. "I had a ticket, but I could not even move inside the compartment as ticket-less passengers took over the seats." Many people returning to Siliguri and Alipurduar also faced challenges as Sikkim Mahananda Express was jam-packed and some who could not board pelted stones at AC coaches.
A senior official at Alipurduar DRM office said, "Those travelling in AC coaches faced utmost trouble."
(Inputs from Pinak Priya Bhattacharya)
Kolkata: Several passengers travelling on long-distance Howrah- and Kolkata-bound trains passing through Prayagraj complained of being harassed by local ticket-less commuters in reserved compartments. Many of these passengers, who alleged harassment, were returning from Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj and took to social media to vent their anguish over the harrowing times they experienced on board the trains.
The rush of pilgrims for Kumbh Mela triggered overcrowding in trains passing through Prayagraj Chheoki Junction station. Commuters alleged that passengers without tickets occupied their reserved seats and engaged in brawls and altercations with them.
A team of 24 performers from Kolkata, who went to Bhopal for a show at Bharat Rang Mahotsav at the invitation of the Ministry of culture, returned home traumatised on Monday. "We were attacked for being Bengalis. The people from UP abused us," said Bishwarup Chatterjee, a resident of Dum Dum and a member of the team travelling on Shipra Express, which runs between Indore and Howrah via Prayagraj. They lodged a complaint at Howrah station.
"The ordeal started about 9 km before the train chugged into Prayagraj. The train was halting, and the RPF allowed people to get into the AC coach. As we protested, some ticket-less passengers shoved us, and one of our women members got injured. At Gomoh, they looked for us by lighting a torch. We covered ourselves under bed sheets in fear, not wanting to be recognised," Chatterjee recounted. "Back home, I got a call from state minister Bratya Baasu and MLA Sougata Roy, who enquired about our well-being," he added.
Krishna Sarkar (77), who was in the same train, said, "I returned alone after getting lost from my group at Prayagraj. The UP Police and RPF put me in the AC 3-tier coach. They told me to use the toilet early and sit in one corner as there was a rush. I did not know what was in store for me."
An ER spokesperson said, "Two or three stray incidents might have happened, but the railway authorities, including GRP and RPF, are keeping an eye." Asked about the grievances of commuters, Raghuveer Chokka, senior commissioner, RPF, Howrah division, told TOI: "The rush for Prayagraj is unprecedented this year. We are monitoring the situation to avoid any untoward incident."
Murshidabad resident Srikanta Maji, who boarded Farakka Express for Prayagraj, had to get down at Patna on Tuesday. "I had a ticket, but I could not even move inside the compartment as ticket-less passengers took over the seats." Many people returning to Siliguri and Alipurduar also faced challenges as Sikkim Mahananda Express was jam-packed and some who could not board pelted stones at AC coaches.
A senior official at Alipurduar DRM office said, "Those travelling in AC coaches faced utmost trouble."