Guwahati, Aug 20: Traffic between Assam and Meghalaya was disrupted on Thursday, after Guwahati-based cab operators blocked National Highway-27 for vehicles from the hill state, protesting against alleged attacks on people from Assam during a students’ rally in Shillong.
Hundreds of passengers and Meghalaya-registered vehicles were stranded near the Assam-Meghalaya border, after the cab operators blocked the highway to voice displeasure over the violent incidents that took place during a bike rally by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) in Shillong on Wednesday.
Assam commercial vehicle drivers stopped Meghalaya-registered vehicles at Jorabat and Khanapara on the interstate border, disrupting traffic between Guwahati and Shillong.
Passengers coming from Meghalaya deboarded at Jorabat and took Assam taxis to proceed towards their destinations, while Meghalaya taxis leaving the city were allowed to go without customers.
“They were assaulting us selectively and their police were just watching as if we were in a different country. And, this was not the first time that Assam drivers were assaulted. We have faced this discrimination many times,” a cab operator in Guwahati claimed, referring to incidents during the KSU bike rally.
The Assam State Drivers’ Union condemned the violence, and said vehicles from Assam have faced similar attacks in Meghalaya in the past.
An officer of Guwahati Police said the agitators damaged one Meghalaya-registered taxi at Khanapara, but the situation was immediately brought under control.
“This is not the first such incident that took place in Shillong. Every organisation has the right to protest, but it cannot attack civilians and vehicles. The Meghalaya government must act against the culprits,” All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation State General Secretary Biren Sarma said.
Meghalaya tourism relies heavily on Assam taxis as they ferry most tourists from the Guwahati airport and train station, he said.
“We also demand that the Meghalaya government pay compensation for damage to the vehicles. Some tourists were also injured and their treatment should be taken care of by the Meghalaya authorities,” Sarma said.
The Assam Police has deployed additional forces along the border to prevent any untoward incident, while the protesters said that essential services were exempted from the blockade.
Jorabat is a key transit point for commuters, tourists and goods moving between Guwahati and Meghalaya. Khanapara is the easternmost point of Guwahati city.
Meanwhile, SP of Meghalaya’s Ri-Bhoi district, Giri Prasad, said the situation at Jorabat remained peaceful.
“The district administration officials are in close coordination with their Assam counterparts and monitoring the situation,” he told PTI.
Prasad said the safety of commuters remain the administration’s primary concern.
The Assam BJP has expressed deep concern over the violence in Meghalaya.
In a statement, the ruling party said the violent situation created by some miscreants in Shillong and its adjoining areas under the pretext of protest was completely unacceptable.
Expressing solidarity with the protest staged by vehicle drivers in Assam, the BJP appealed to them to ensure that similar incidents do not occur here in retaliation.
Opposition Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi urged Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to immediately intervene and control the situation in his state.
“Attacks on Assam vehicles and people are unacceptable. Protests must not turn into violence. Let peace and mutual respect prevail between Assam and Meghalaya,” he said in a post on X.
“Assamese citizens and Assam-registered vehicles are being targeted in Shillong, while @himantabiswa, the NEDA Convenor, remains conspicuously silent. Where is the initiative for dialogue and de-escalation? If the NEDA Convenor can’t act now, it is a clear failure of leadership,” he asserted. (PTI)
