Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network
Imphal, April 21 2010:
Over 40 loaded trucks were damaged by the suspected blockade supporters along the National Highway 39 on Wednesday, according to Manipur police.
However, All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) claimed that more than 100 vehicles including a passengers bus were damaged by the blockade supporters.
Reports have also been received that 15 vehicles including two Railway line officials were damaged by bandh supporters of Manipur Tribal JAC Against Elections Under Unwanted District Council Act (MTJAC-AEUUDC) along the NH-53 today.
Along the NH-39 blockade supporters pelted stones at the vehicles escorted by the Manipur police towards Imphal between Mao Gate and Senapati, said a police source.
According to ANSAM sources, over 100 goods laden trucks including a passenger bus were damaged by its activists this afternoon along the
National Highway 39 .
The agitating students' body sources said that transporters escorted by security forces personnel headed for Imphal from Mao Gate at around 2 pm today when the blockade supporters acted on them damaging large number of vehicles.
The sources said that the attacks on the moving transporters were carried out in different areas of Senapati district.
The attacks were carried out at Mao area, Karong area and Senapati headquarter.
A total of 389 vehicles out of which 241 were loaded trucks, 35 LPG tankers, 107 oil tankers and 6 inter-state buses were escorted from Mao Gate in the Manipur-Nagaland border by the police Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, normal life in the hill districts was paralyzed for the second day today owing to the 48-hour bandh called by Manipur Tribal Joint Action Committee Against Election Under Unwanted District Council Act.
Bandh.
The bandh ends tonight.
All the business establishments, institutions, government offices, were closed down.
All the passenger buses were off the road in all the hills districts except Churachandpur district.
It has also been reported that owners of the passenger buses are facing the scarcity of oil as the fuel pumps have been shut down since the imposition of the economic blockade called by the All Naga Students' Association, Manipur (ANSAM) .
It is worth mentioning that the All Naga Students' Association of Manipur (ANSAM) has been imposing blockade along the two national highways leading to Manipur and in all the state highways from the midnight of April 11 in protest against the Manipur (Hill Areas) District Councils (3rd Amendment) Act, 2008 .