Truckers call 24-hour strike on Imphal-Silchar highway

Truckers halted operations on the Imphal-Silchar highway on Thursday (August 13, 2026) following the death of a stranded driver, despite the state government's push for reopening other highways. National Highway-37, the least blockade-prone route connecting Imphal, Manipur's capital, with Silchar in southern Assam, has been impeded by sporadic blockades and landslides for nearly a month.

A loose association of truck operators called for a 24-hour strike after Nagina Kumar Mahto, a driver from Bihar, died near Labankhal in Jiribam district. Mahto was found unconscious in his vehicle and later declared dead at Jiribam Primary Health Centre. Truckers demanded the governments of India, Assam, and Manipur to address their concerns and compensate the deceased driver's family.

They accused authorities of ignoring their prolonged ordeal, having to traverse the road without proper food, water, or medical assistance. The truckers warned that their strike could be extended if their grievances remain unresolved. Officials in Jiribam said an autopsy would be conducted to ascertain the cause of Mahto's death.

While Manipur Chief Minister Yumnam Khemchand Singh announced the reopening of the state's arterial highways on August 8, tribal organizations lifted their blockade on NH-202 but not on NH-2, which links Imphal with Nagaland's capital, Kohima. The ethnic conflict between Kuki-Zo and Meitei people has restricted movement on NH-2 since it erupted in May 2023.