One of the damaged trucks on Imphal-Jiribam highway on Sunday morning.
Imphal, May 24 : Blockade supporters today rolled down boulders from hilltops damaging trucks carrying essentials through the Imphal-Jiribam highway, in a desperate bid to cut off supplies to the Manipur capital.
Sources said the protesters pushed down boulders from hills while a convoy of 100 trucks, which did not have security guards accompanying them, between Tupul and Noney in Tamenglong district around 5am today.
According to a source, three truck drivers were wounded while about 30 trucks were damaged.
“Boulders rained on us between Tupul and Noney early this morning,” one of the drivers said after reaching Imphal.
The drivers said the trucks had to halt for some time as the protesters rolled boulders onto the convoy and pelted stones from atop hills. While the vehicles remained halted, about 25 to 30 blockade supporters ran down from the hills and tried to abduct five drivers besides threatening to cause physical harm, they said, adding that no security guards escorted them today.
However, as an army patrol arrived at the spot, the protesters fled the scene. The supply trucks started coming along the highway since yesterday for the first time since the All Naga Students Association, Manipur, had imposed an indefinite economic blockade along Imphal-Jiribam and Imphal-Dimapur highways.
Food and civil supplies minister Yumkham Erabot Singh went to Jiribam and brought about 300 loaded trucks to Imphal yesterday.
However, about 100 trucks had to stay back because of landslides at Keiphundai in Tamenglong. The trucks resumed journey in the wee hours today after the landslide was cleared. Over 100 trucks reached Imphal along the Imphal-Jiribam road today without security escorts.
Erabot Singh went to Keithelmanbi, 16km from here this morning to receive the trucks. “The government should start providing enough security for the trucks.”
Erabot Singh also said as fuel supply was restored since yesterday he would try to distribute the commodity from tomorrow. “We now have three lakh litres of petrol.”
In another development, the Zeliangrong community residing in the four valley districts of Manipur today decided not to leave their homes. The Zeliangrong United Club Association Manipur, an apex body of the community, took the decision at a meeting here today. Sources said the move came in the wake of the NSCN (I-M) allegedly asking the community to leave the valley in protest against the Ibobi Singh government’s decision not to allow the outfit’s general secretary, Thuingaleng Muivah, to enter the state.
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