An act too low for even thugs
- Hueiyen Lanpao Editorial :: June 03, 2014 -

From the apathetic attitude of the successive Governments towards ensuring their security along the route infested and dominated by cadres of various armed underground organisations, who are no better than highway robbers or thugs of the yore, to the perpetually deplorable condition of the route which remains enveloped in thick dust during dry season and turns into large ponds, if not puddle, during rainy season; if one actually sits down to list them, there may be no end to the problems and difficulties face by transporters along the National Highways connecting Manipur with the rest of the country.

But in spite of all these risks involved, transporters have never been discouraged from carrying on with their duties of ensuring adequate food grain and other necessary items of day to day use to the people of Manipur including the same Ministers and MLAs who have time and again given assurances for their protection but never translated them into action.

So, harassment along the National Highways, burning down of their trucks by armed miscreants, abducting them for ransom or even taking away of their lives so unmercifully, etc, if the demands served were not met or fulfilled have become part and parcel of the existence of the truck drivers who are doing public service of ferrying goods along the National Highways so much so that none seems to actually care about the daily ordeals they have to go through until some crisis occur.

The latest incident of abduction of four drivers of Imphal-bound trucks by some armed miscreants from near Bokajan in Assam along the National Highway 2 on the night of May 27 last could have also been passed off as just another ‘hiccup’ that most truck drivers have to experience in performing their duties.

Like in most cases, the four truck drivers were coming to Imphal carrying food items when they were abducted at gun-point by some armed miscreants from near S.B Petrol Pump at Ambrajan under Bokajan police station, Karbi Anglong district of Assam while they were taking rest there.

But in this case, a day after the abduction, Kanglei Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), an underground group based in Manipur, reportedly demanded Rs 30 lakh for the safe release of the abducted drivers.

However, when All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers’ Union established contact, the armed outfit has denied any hand in the abduction even though a caller who identified himself as a cadre of KYKL was keeping in touch with the transporters' body demanding to arrange the ransom amount for securing the safe release of the abducted drivers till June 1.

Now, if KYKL is indeed not involved in the abduction, then it should come out with a clarification to clear the confusion surrounding the abduction of the four poor drivers for ransom.

And, whoever is behind the abduction, all that we would like to say here is that abducting truck drivers, who risk their lives to bring food for us, is too low an act that could not have imagined even by the legendary highway robbers or thugs.