Protest Erupts at Silchar Station Demanding Urgent Construction of Alternative Railway Route

Renewing its call for better connectivity in Barak Valley, the Silchar-Lumding Broad Gauge Rupayan Sangram Committee staged a protest at Silchar Railway Station on Saturday, demanding that the construction of an alternative railway route via Chandranathpur–Lanka to Guwahati be taken up on a war footing.

Citing the current transport crisis and frequent disruptions in the Hill Section, the committee members pressed for the immediate release of the route’s survey report, the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR), and the initiation of construction work within this year.

“Our previous movement brought the broad gauge to Silchar after years of protest. Now again, we must fight. This time, our demand is a more feasible and less risky rail line through flat terrain, avoiding tunnels and hills,” a committee member said during the protest. “MPs are raising the issue so that we don’t become restless with this demand. It is their duty to raise the issue; it’s easy for them to reach out to the Railway Minister. But the people who’ve been stuck on trains for over 24 hours without food know the pain. It’s time they raise their voices — even on social media”, he added.

The committee, which played a key role in accelerating the earlier broad gauge project 18 years ago, alleged that the BJP is wrongly claiming credit for bringing the broad gauge to Barak Valley. “They (BJP Government) say that they brought the broad gauge line to Barak Valley, but it was we, the common people of this valley, who struggled and protested since 2009 till 2015 for this. A 31-point massive strike was held, which pressurised the Rail Ministry to start the work. Incidentally, it so happened that when the broad gauge line started, it was just then that Narendra Modi had taken the oath as the Prime Minister, and that is how they are demanding that they brought the BG line to Barak. If this demand were true today, the Masadak would have been completed by now. We have disconnected rail routes, we have disconnected roadways,” a member remarked.

We’ve seen more speeches than action,” the committee said, calling out the “double-engine” government (BJP at Centre and State) for continued neglect of Barak Valley.

As the protest intensified, Cachar Police detained several committee members and sent them to temporary detention. The committee condemned the police action, claiming they had prior permission from railway authorities to hold the protest and had even submitted a memorandum of demands to the Station Superintendent.

“This is not just a demand, this is survival. Roads are broken, the rail line is vulnerable — we are being cut off from the rest of the state. If our voices continue to be ignored, we’ll be forced to intensify our democratic agitation,” the committee warned.