Movement along National Highway-2 was brought to a grinding halt today after the Senapati District Truck Owners Association and the Senapati District Truck Drivers Union jointly launched a sudden steering down strike. The agitation came in response to what they described as the unlawful arrest and assault of a truck driver by Saparmeina Police.
The driver, identified as Ashepri David of Tungjoy village, was reportedly intercepted at an unauthorised checkpoint situated about 200 to 300 meters from the official police gate. According to truckers’ associations, he was allegedly kicked, punched, and beaten before being taken into custody around 5:30 am without any formal arrest memo.
Condemning the incident, the two truck bodies declared that such high-handed actions by police were intolerable and immediately called for the strike. They demanded the unconditional release of the driver and cautioned that the agitation would escalate if their demand was not met promptly.
The flash protest caused widespread disruption to transport on NH-2, a critical highway linking Kohima in Nagaland with Imphal in Manipur and further connecting to other parts of Northeast India. The route is considered Manipur’s lifeline, carrying essential supplies, fuel, and passenger traffic.
Today’s blockade has once again underlined the fragile relationship between transporters and law enforcement authorities in the region, with fears of prolonged standoffs if the matter remains unresolved.