Passengers and drivers of over 40 interstate buses and 900 loaded trucks are stranded along national highway 39 that passes through Nagaland since the night of January 16 as angry tribal villagers in some parts of Nagaland have blocked the movement of all trucks and buses from Manipur.
This is in protest against an accident in which a truck from Manipur overran a tribal student and caused injuries to two more people at Jakhama in Nagaland. Officials in Manipur said that since the driver, Bhallaram Basent, had been arrested and the truck impounded there was no need for the restive villagers to prevent other vehicles of Manipur from plying along the highway.
Manipur Director General of Police Yumnam Joykumar Singh and Chief Secretary D.S. Poonia are in touch with their Nagaland counterparts to solve the crisis. However, in the absence of Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh and Home Minister G. Gaikhangam, who are in Delhi, there has not been a breakthrough.
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The Nagaland villagers have not permitted even armed CRPF personnel to escort buses to Imphal. The stranded drivers and passengers are suffering as they do not have warm clothes to beat the icy weather. Roadside eateries have not been able to supply food for long. Women passengers are the worst-hit due to lack of enough toilets along the highway.
Due to this incident, there has been a heavy rush of passengers for all flights.