TIMELINE OF THE PATLIPUTRA STATION COMMOTION

TIMELINE OF THE PATLIPUTRA STATION COMMOTION

14-JUNE-ENG 4

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA----------------------Major unrest broke out late Saturday night in Patna, Bihar, continuing until Sunday morning. For nearly six hours, students created havoc at the station, engaging in vandalism and targeting several trains. No trains could depart from Pataliputra Station for an extended period; the situation only calmed down by morning. Officials stated that special trains had been arranged for the examinees with assurances that they would reach their destinations on time, but the agitators did not heed these assurances. Tear gas shells were fired and aerial shots were discharged to control the crowd, but these measures proved futile.

Written examinations for a total of 4,128 posts—including Prohibition Constables, Warders, and Mobile Squad Constables—are being held in Bihar from June 14 to June 17. The exams are conducted in two shifts: the first begins at 10:00 AM and the second at 3:00 PM. Students scheduled for the first shift on June 14 arrived at the railway station on Saturday night but could not board the train due to the heavy crowd. Consequently, they blocked the train from moving forward, sparking the commotion.

Saturday, 11:28 PM: The Seemanchal Express arrived at Platform No. 4 of Pataliputra Station. The train is scheduled to arrive at 11:15 PM and depart at 11:25 PM; it originates from Anand Vihar. The train was already heavily crowded by the time it passed through Dildar Nagar (UP) and Buxar and Arrah (Bihar). When it reached Pataliputra Station, boarding was impossible. Students waiting on the platform could not get inside, and those who failed to board stopped the train. Once the train halted, the students who were already inside also stepped out onto the tracks. Realizing that missing their exam was now inevitable, the students prevented the train from moving forward. They reasoned that if they could not take the exam, other students would be unable to do so as well, leading to the cancellation of the examination.

12:00 AM: The Madhubani Special train (09151) arrived at Platform No. 3; it had come from Surat. Students bound for Hajipur, Muzaffarpur, Samastipur, and Darbhanga could have used this train to reach their exam centers. However, the students who had already blocked the Seemanchal Express realized that if this train were allowed to proceed, many candidates would manage to take the exam. Consequently, they moved onto the tracks in front of the train at Platform No. 3 and halted it as well. Meanwhile, a goods train was approaching Patliputra Station from the direction of Sonepur Station; as soon as it crossed the signal, the students stopped it at the outer signal.

2:36 AM: Many students had been demanding a special train for the exam. Acceding to their demand, officials arranged for an 'Exam Special' train specifically for them. Although the train arrived at 2:36 AM, it could not reach the platform because the goods train was blocking the outer track, causing a significant delay in bringing it in. This train was intended for students traveling to Araria, Katihar, and Kishanganj. Railway authorities used the public address system to assure the students that the train would get them to their destinations before the exam started, but the students paid no heed. They engaged in vandalism on the train, resulting in a considerable delay before it could finally depart from the station in the morning. Patna DM Dr. Tyagarajan stated, "Around midnight, we received information that some people were creating a disturbance. We repeatedly asked them not to cause a ruckus and to cooperate with those wishing to take the exam. However, certain anti-social elements repeatedly pulled the emergency chain and raised various demands—such as requests for special trains—even though two special trains were already available. They also obstructed students who wanted to leave. Due to these complications, we had to use mild force. The situation is now completely normal, and the trains have departed. The trains designated for the examinees have already left, and train operations are proceeding normally." Meanwhile, the IG (Railways) remarked that while every effort was made to address the students' grievances, it appeared their sole objective was to create chaos and force the cancellation of the exam; they refused to agree to any proposed solution, which exacerbated the situation.