IMPHAL, August 22: The Imphal-Moreh Road Transporters`™ Association has today formed a JAC and warned to impose an indefinite blockade along the Imphal-Moreh highway against the act of some miscreants vandalising vehicles parked at their parking lot in Moreh during the August 18 violence in the border town.
The JAC which was formed during a meeting of the association held today at the Yaiskul Janmasthan parking has warned that in case its demands are not met by August 25, a bandh will be imposed from August 26.
Altogether 24 vehicles including 11 Tata DI trucks, six Tata Sumos, seven Maruti Vans which were parked at the parking were damaged during the arson, JAC joint secretary Ahanthem Dakeshwor told media persons after their meeting.
He said the cost for the damages of the 11 Tata DI Trucks have been estimated at around Rs 2 lakhs, for the six Tata Sumos it has been estimated at Rs 1.5 lakh and for the seven Maruti Vans it has been estimated at around Rs 4 lakhs.
Not only the vehicles were damaged, but the miscreants have also looted the several things including spare parts, cash and other items kept inside the vehilces of which the estimation is yet to be calculated, he continued.
According to the JAC, the demands include that those who had vandalised their vehicles should come forward and clarify through the media as to why they had attacked the parked vehicles.
The Imphal-Moreh Road Transporters`™ Association has also strongly condemned the act of vandalising the vehicles which were plying along the route under the association.
The JAC has also demanded that actions be taken up against those miscreants by the government and compensation be paid to the vehicle owners.
It has also demanded the civil society organisations based in Moreh to provide assurance that such act of vandalising their vehicles will not be repeated in the future.
Unless, our security is assured, we cannot ply along the route Dhakeshwor said, and further urged the CSOs of Moreh to pressurise the government to fulfil their demand in time.
The transporters body also expressed strong disappointment against the Assam Rifles citing that the force knows only how to harass the transporters and not how to protect them during such times of crisis.
Dhakeshwor said even as the miscreants were ransacking and damaging their parked vehicles, the AR personnel kept just watching and failed to take any action.
The AR at Khudengthabi and Tengnoupal always harass the commuters in the name of checking, but failed to come to their rescue during the August 18 violence, the transporters bemoaned.
The AR should be replaced by the BSF and there is a need to increase the strength of police personnel posted at Moreh, they demanded.
During the meeting, several of the transporters had also shared their grievances citing that the transporters become an easy target during any agitation in the State.