IMPHAL, October 15: Six days have passed since people of Zakhama have barred all the trucks and tankers from Manipur from travelling along the National Highway-2, Imphal-Dimapur Road, after a speeding truck en route to Dimapur from Imphal ran over a 17 year old boy in Zakhama on October 9.
Sources told IFP that people of the area where the incident occurred started a protest soon after the 17 year old boy who was taken to the hospital after the accident succumbed to injuries.
The truck involved in the accident bears the registration number MN-01/A-8747 and is used in transporting rice to Manipur by the Food Corporation of India. It was impounded by the Nagaland Police after the accident and has been kept under its custody ever since.
However, the people of the area have been protesting against the authorities to hand over the truck, its driver and other people involved in the accident so that they could deliver justice under their customary law.
As a result of this ongoing protest, empty trucks from Manipur including Gas Bullets, Oil tankers etc have been denied passage since October 10. However, the protestors have been allowing passenger vehicles and vehicles going to Manipur from Dimapur to travel along the National Highway.
As a norm, Oil tankers and FCI trucks have always been escorted by CRPF personnel but due to the ongoing protest the empty trucks and Oil tankers from Manipur are denied passage through Nagaland despite being escorted by CRPF personnel.
The senior depot manager of Indian Oil Corporation Limited along with members of the All Manipur Petroleum Tankers and Drivers Association, and All Manipur Petroleum Transporters Association met the CAF & PD minister M Okendro at his office to discuss the matter the evening before.
During the meeting, the CAF&PD minister assured that a special arrangement would be made by evening of October 15. However, as no official messages were conveyed until 5 pm this evening, empty trucks and oil tankers were unable to decide whether to leave Imphal or not.
Trucks and Oil tankers which were on their way to Dimapur from Imphal have been stranded at Mao Gate after they were stopped and forced to return from Zakhama. Some trucks have even returned back to Imphal.