Assam truckers lift 70-hour blockade after Mizoram assures vehicle safety
Here's the latest protest news from across India:
A three-day-long blockade by Assam truck drivers on the Assam-Mizoram national highway halting over 300 Mizoram-bound trucks was lifted on Wednesday, with Mizoram offering safety of vehicles with proper documents, officers shared.
Adding to this, Mizoram government has reaffirmed that no vehicle without proper documents would be allowed to enter the state, while vehicles carrying proper documents would be provided adequate security. (HT Sourced Photo) The blockade was staged in the Lailapur area of Assam’s Cachar district where Mizoram-bound trucks were halted for nearly 70 hours over alleged harassment of Assam truck drivers in Mizoram. The blockade affected normal life in the area.
Meanwhile, “We live in the same country but these days, when we enter Mizoram, it feels unsafe. The harassment is not new, but it has just escalated beyond control in recent times,” an agitating truck driver shared.
Notably, On Tuesday, the Cachar district administration tried to clear the protesters using force, triggering further protests. Some of the drivers lied down on the road in front of the Mizoram-bound trucks.
As per the latest buzz, Later, a senior police officer of Cachar initiated talks with the protesters, who agreed to participate in an inter-state discussion that continued until late Tuesday night.
In further updates, Officer, requesting anonymity shared on Wednesday the safety measures for Assam vehicles entering Mizoram were discussed during the meeting and that the blockade was lifted following assurances from the Mizoram government.
On top of that, “Representatives of Mizoram’s Kolasib district, protesting truck drivers and concerned officials from our side attended the meeting where the issues were discussed and Mizoram assured to provide adequate security to the vehicles entering with proper documents,” he shared.
The truck drivers shared they agreed to lift the blockade respecting the outcome of the discussions, but warned that the protest would resume if harassment continued even after the talks.
Source: Hindustan Times