Imphal: The death of a 39-year-old truck driver stranded along National Highway 37, which connects Imphal with Silchar through Jiribam, has triggered strong resentment among transporters and drivers.
The Silchar Drivers’ Union and Manipur’s Transporters’ and Drivers’ Council (TDC) have threatened to suspend interstate transport services unless adequate compensation is provided to the deceased driver’s family.
The driver, identified as Nageena Kumar Mahato from Narayanpur in Bihar’s Vaishali district, was found dead inside his stationary goods truck at Lalpani under the Jirighat police station area on Wednesday morning.
Mahato was among hundreds of truck drivers stranded along the highway while waiting for security convoys to escort them safely towards Manipur. The exact cause of his death has not yet been established and is expected to be confirmed after a postmortem examination.
However, fellow drivers and transport union leaders have blamed the authorities for what they described as administrative failure and inadequate attention to the conditions of stranded transport workers.
The incident has drawn attention to the growing congestion along the Jiribam-Assam border, where more than 1,500 vehicles carrying essential supplies are reportedly stranded. Some drivers have remained stuck for more than 20 days, waiting for security escorts to resume their journey towards Imphal.
Members of the Silchar Drivers’ Union claimed that Mahato had recently complained of deteriorating health and could have received medical treatment had the stranded vehicles been moved towards Imphal in time.
A union representative accused the authorities of failing to adequately address the difficulties faced by drivers and warned that such incidents could discourage transporters from operating on the Manipur route.
The Silchar Drivers’ Union has demanded accountability from the Manipur government, the Assam government and the Centre. It has also announced that commercial vehicles from Assam will not enter Manipur, while vehicles from Manipur will not cross into Assam, until the deceased driver’s family receives adequate compensation.
TDC president Hijam Ranjit also expressed condolences over Mahato’s death and said the council’s earlier resolution on the stranded vehicles remains in force.
Ranjit warned that if the Manipur government does not arrange additional security convoys to clear the congestion by Sunday, truck drivers will begin moving the stranded vehicles without waiting for security escorts.
“From Monday, the vehicles will begin moving with or without a security force’s escort,” Ranjit said.
He added that the stranded trucks would move in organised batches of around 500 vehicles a day.
Meanwhile, the Silchar Drivers’ Union is coordinating with local authorities to arrange the transportation of Mahato’s mortal remains to his native village in Bihar after completion of the postmortem examination.