Truck drivers suspend services on National Highway-37 after a driver was killed in an ambush in Ukhrul district, Manipur.
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IMPHAL — Truck drivers on Saturday suspended transportation services along National Highway-37 (Imphal-Jiribam Road) in protest against the killing of a colleague in an ambush in Ukhrul district.
The protest was triggered by the death of Nitish Kumar, a truck driver from West Bengal, who was killed after suspected Kuki militants allegedly opened fire on a truck carrying essential items along National Highway-202 between Leingangching and TM Kasom under Litan Police Station at around 11 am on May 29.
As part of the agitation, a large number of trucks, including LPG bullet tankers, oil tankers and goods carriers, remained stranded at Keithelmanbi, about 20 km west of Imphal, along the Imphal-Jiribam route.
Also read: Truck driver killed, policeman injured in militant ambush in Ukhrul
Expressing solidarity with the deceased and voicing concerns over the safety of transport operators travelling through conflict-prone routes in the state, the drivers demanded enhanced security on Manipur's highways.
Meanwhile, a team of the All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers Union called on Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh at his office in Imphal on Saturday.
Sharing photographs of the meeting on X, Khemchand Singh wrote, “Met representatives of the All Manipur Road Transport Drivers and Motor Workers Union, led by General Secretary Shri Maimom Anil Meetei, along with the family members of the driver who tragically lost his life in yesterday’s incident at TM Kasom, Ukhrul. I conveyed my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and assured them that the safety, security, and welfare of truck drivers and transport workers remain a top priority of the Government.”