By Momon Thoudam
Jiribam, 24rd August: In the midst of the present turmoil in Manipur, it has been reported that a truck driver was attacked by some unknown persons near Manipur-Assam border bridge. The report says that Mr.Narendra Khumanthem was driving vehicle (no. AS-11AC 4536) towards Imphal loaded with cement bags from Fullertal, Cachar district Assam when the incident happened around 3.30 PM on Saturday, 23rd August. It added, few unknown people initially stopped the truck by blocking the road using a Canter vehicle, threatened the driver to hand them over the vehicle keys. After negotiating for some time, he was later allowed to carry on his journey. However, by the time the truck was about to cross the border bridge on Jiri river, around 3 unknown youths on bikes started attacking the truck with sticks and rods, and manhandled the truck driver, luckily the truck driver was able to cross the border with minor damages at the driver side of the truck.
The report further says that the attackers looked like Non-Manipuris, but they could communicate in Manipuri. It can be remembered that a new organisation christened as NEPO (North East People’s Organisation) formed by Bengali and Hindi speaking communities in Silchar, Assam has strongly condemned ILPS demand movement in Manipur, and demanded to remove ILPS from the existing states in NE i.e. Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh.
At this point, it is not very clear about the motives of the assailants.
Read more / Original news source: http://kanglaonline.com/2015/08/attack-on-truck-near-manipur-assam-jiribam-border-by-unknown-persons/