Assam-Meghalaya border incident: Vehicle owners ask to follow necessary protocols as travel restrictions lifted

Assam Police on November 27 issued new directives for the vehicles going towards Meghalaya as they lifted travel restrictions between Assam and Meghalaya.

The police allowed vehicles to proceed towards to Meghalaya instructing them to follow necessary protocols. 

Following the confrontations that broke out in Mukroh village on November 22 (Tuesday), during which at least six people died, travel restrictions were enforced.

Apart from imposing limits on interstate travel, the police had also issued warnings against visiting the neighboring state.

Since then, the prohibitory orders remained in effect, and heavy deployments were placed in the disputed region near the Assam-Meghalaya border.

“In the last five days, many vehicles were stranded in the Assam-Meghalaya border due to the travel restrictions imposed following the firing incident at Mukroh village. The travel restrictions have been lifted on November 27 after an improvement in the situation. Now all kinds of vehicles, including goods trucks have been allowed to travel to Meghalaya while maintaining the protocols and in disciplinary mode. Additionally, Meghalaya police is also providing all necessary safety protocols as well as escorts to all such vehicles plying between the two states and also carrying out extensive patrolling in sensitive areas,” said SP Cachar, Numal Mahatta while speaking to the media.

It is worth mentioning that members of Save Hyniewtrep Mission (SHM), a coalition of five NGOs, in Meghalaya's capital, Shillong carried out a protest with regards to the Mukroh incident.

In front of the Polo Hills mansion of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, the agitating protesters set fire to effigies of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on November 26.

The demonstrators denounced the purported inability of the governments of the Centre, Meghalaya, and Assam to settle the long-running border conflict.