The 12-hour Bengal strike announced by the Adivasi Sengel Abhijan (ASA) on Monday affected certain areas of South Dinajpur and Malda districts.

The bandh also had a partial effect in the districts of Jhargram, West Midnapore, Purulia, and Bankura.

In Balurghat, hundreds of tribals, including women, came out in the streets and resorted to demonstrations for hours.

They halted traffic movement at Hili More, a prominent crossing of the town, prompting the police to rush to the spot.

Due to the strike, the town wore a deserted look throughout the day. Private buses were off the roads and a few government buses ran in the area.

The strike, ASA representatives said, has been called in protest of the alleged “social boycott” that 100 families are facing in Purulia for months now.

“Also, let us be clear that we don’t want the Kurmi community to be conferred with scheduled tribe status. The state and central governments should understand that such a decision can lead to large-scale protests as it has recently happened in Manipur (over the issue of providing ST status to Meiteis, who constitute the majority of the state’s population),” said Mohan Hansda, the zonal president of ASA in north Bengal.

The demonstrators also pointed out that so far, the police have not arrested Pradipta Chakraborty, the Trinamul leader of Balurghat who had allegedly forced four tribal women to perform the ritual of “dandi” as an act of atonement.

During the demonstration, the situation got tense in Sadhana More of Balurghat as some bandh supporters ransacked and punctured the tyres of an e-rickshaw that was carrying passengers to the district hospital.

The bandh supporters used sickle and axe, locals alleged.