Trucks stranded in Golaghat district on Sunday.
Nagaon, Sep 20 : More than 300 trucks bound for Nagaland were halted on National Highway 39 near Rangajan after All Assam Students Union (AASU) imposed an indefinite economic blockade.
According to Golaghat police, the snake-like queue of goods-loaded trucks started in Numaligarh, causing congestion in the approach road to the bordering district.
The blockade, begun by the students’ organisation from 3pm on Saturday, was to demand immediate steps to hand over the accused Nagaland armed police officials to the Assam government after the officials caned school students for blocking the highway on Wednesday, punishment of the officials according to law of the land and an unconditional apology for the misdeed.
More than 500 AASU supporters blocked the national highway all through the day, preventing plying of goods vehicles from Nagaland.
“We will continue this blockade till our demands are fulfilled.
Unfortunately, our local administration fails to listen to our repeated requests for a joint sitting of the administration of Golaghat and Dimapur, where video footage of the Wednesday incident could be demonstrated to identify the culprits,” said AASU’s Golaghat unit general secretary Ranjit Bora.
Golaghat administration today ensured free flow of passenger vehicles on the highway.
“There is a congestion-like situation on NH 39. But it does not deteriorate free flow of passenger vehicles,” said Golaghat superintendent of police Madan Chetia.
Deputy commissioner of police H.N. Bora said discussions with his Dimapur counterpart regarding the issue was on.
“We are trying our best to find a solution to the matter through a joint meet,” Bora told The Telegraph over telephone.
Accusing the Assam government of being a “weak” one, because of which Nagaland police could beat up Assamese students on Assamese land, AASU general secretary Tapan Gogoi told The Telegraph over phone from Titabor, “The students’ body has demanded compensation from the Assam government for those students who were brutally attacked by Nagaland policemen. The blockade would continue unless the culprits responsible for the incident were punished.”.
Top AASU leaders, led by Gogoi, today visited several places in Golaghat and Jorhat districts where activists of the organisation, in batches, were carrying out the road blockade round the clock for the second day against vehicles coming to and from from Nagaland.
At Mariani and Titabor, AASU members on Saturday had prevented vehicles from going to Nagaland. AASU general secretary of Jorhat district unit, Dhruba Jyoti Hazarika, said over six trucks, including tankers, were stopped at Titabor.
He said vehicles coming from and going to Nagaland were stopped. Other vehicles plying on the road were not blocked by the agitating members.
He said the team, comprising education secretary Mani Madhab Mahanta, publicity secretary Pulak Chetia, assistant general secretary Nilufar Rahman, also visited the Golaghat government hospital to know about the condition of those injured by Nagaland police attack on Wednesday. He said the team had then headed to the adjoining Jorhat district.
Titabor sub-divisional officer (civil), Jadab Saikia, told The Telegraph that the administration was keeping a “close watch” on the situation.
Saikia said police patrolling near the places where protesters were staging a blockade had been intensified.
He said the situation was peaceful with vehicular traffic, apart from vehicles from Nagaland.
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