Hundreds stranded as Assam cab drivers block highway to protest Shillong violence

On Thursday, hundreds of passengers and vehicles were stranded near the Assam-Meghalaya border after cab operators and transport workers blocked the highway connecting the two states in protest. The incident occurred in response to violence that took place in Shillong the previous day. The unrest was sparked by a "black-flag" motorcycle rally organized by an influential student organization demanding recruitment reforms and security act implementation.

Protests turned violent as demonstrators vandalized and set fire to vehicles, including those with Assam registration numbers, and damaged a statue of philosopher Swami Vivekananda. The Khasi Students' Union (KSU) organized the rally, as they were protesting the state government's neglect of their five-point charter of demands. These demands included the full implementation of the Meghalaya Residents Safety and Security Act and the establishment of the Inner Line Permit system.

Cab operators in Assam claimed they prevented Meghalaya-registered vehicles from entering their state to protest the violence, alleging that their colleagues were targeted and that the police were indifferent. Proponents of the protests argued that the violence was a direct attack on people from Assam and demanded swift action. Assam Police deployed additional forces to maintain order, and the KSU agreed to allow essential services, such as ambulances, to pass.

In Shillong, KSU activists had previously staged a demonstration outside the Main Secretariat, accusing the government of nepotism and corruption in recruitment. The KSU had set a 15-day deadline for the government to act on their demands before taking their agitation to the streets.