Truck drivers on strike
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, April 22 2013:
In protest against the abduction of an oil tanker driver from Kohima by suspected armed cadres of a Naga rebel group, All Manipur Petroleum Tanker Drivers' Union has decided to stay off the roads and launched an indefinite cease work strike from today.
Announcing this while talking to media persons at Inter State Bus Terminus at Chingmeirong today, Y Bhupenchandra Ghosh, President of All Manipur Petroleum Tanker Drivers' Union, informed that no oil tankers would report for work as long as the abducted oil tanker driver Sougrakpam Surjit s/o of late S Phajaton of Sangakpham Bazaar has not been released.
He said that oil tankers are usually escorted by CRPF personnel from Khatkhati in Assam.
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The oil tanker driven by Surjit was coming toward Imphal along with other 116 vehicles escorted by personnel of 79 CRPF Battalion after refilling from Assam.
As the oil tankers reached Kohima town, some armed cadres suspected to be Naga rebel groups stopped the truck bearing registration number MN 02/6265, which was in serial number 43 of the team and took away Surjit at gun point.
He was driving the oil tanker alone without any handyman.
The oil tanker driven by Surjit is now in the CRPF camp in Kohima, he added.
Bhupenchandra Ghosh also appealed to the general public and other social organisations in the State to support the agitation being launched by the Union.
It may be noted here that the abduction of oil tanker driver Surjit has come about even as the public outcry over the killing of a truck driver and torching of two other goods laden trucks along Imphal-Jiribam road on April 17 night by suspected cadres of NSCN (IM) is yet to die down.