Protest Erupts in Cachar's Dholai as Truck Drivers Seek Immediate Release of Kidnapped Colleagues

Truck drivers and their families staged a protest on Sunday in the Kathal area of Dholai, demanding the immediate release of two abducted drivers. They appealed to the Chief Ministers of Assam and Manipur for swift action, as the drivers have been missing since 6 January.

In a protest held in front of Zandu Construction in Dholai’s Kathal area, local truck drivers, co-drivers, and family members gathered to demand the immediate release of two truck drivers who were abducted earlier this month. The protesters chanting various slogans, caused a stir in the area. Local police, including the officer in charge of Dholai Police Station, arrived at the scene, and after a prolonged discussion with the protesters, the situation was brought under control.

Speaking to the media, the family members and drivers revealed that on January 5, two truck drivers under the “KGN Transport” company were on their way to the Aben area in Manipur’s Tamenglong district after loading cement at Zandu Construction in Kathal. On the following day, as the drivers were returning, they were intercepted by a group of criminals near Kaifundai Zero Point, close to National Highway 37 in Tamenglong. The attackers identified themselves as members of the “NSCN-K” group.

The abducted drivers were identified as Rizul Haque Laskar from Gangar Nagar and Nasir Uddin from Lakshminagar. According to the family members, the attackers claimed that they had grievances with Zandu Construction and that the trucks, along with the drivers, were being held because their demands were not being met. The kidnappers instructed the drivers to contact Zandu Construction for negotiations.

As per reports, in a phone call, the two drivers managed to inform their families of the situation. The families, along with other truck drivers, visited “KGN Transport” to seek help. They were advised to reach out to Zandu Construction for further communication. However, after contacting the construction company, the families were unable to find any leads on the drivers’ whereabouts.

On January 8, the family members, along with the transport company owner, went to Zandu Construction, but were reportedly denied entry. Zandu Construction’s workers, in consultation with the Dholai Police Station officer and the police battalion, requested two days to resolve the matter and assured the families that the drivers would be released. However, no progress has been made since then, and the families have not received any further phone calls from the drivers.

Frustrated and fearful for the drivers’ safety, the truck drivers and their families gathered in front of Zandu Construction again on Sunday. They demanded that the abducted drivers be freed immediately. They also urged the Chief Ministers of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Manipur to intervene. The protesters warned that if the drivers, Rizul Haque Laskar and Nasir Uddin, were not released within the next 48 hours, they would block the national highway and launch a larger protest across the region.

The demonstrators told the media, “If our voices are not heard, we will be forced to exercise our right to protest. We will not work and will continue to sit until we are listened to.”

Another protester explained the situation, saying, “On 6 January, the truck was attacked. The attackers said they had grievances with Zandu Construction because their complaints were ignored. They took the truck and said they were holding the two drivers until their demands were met.” They also reiterated their call for the immediate release of the two kidnapped drivers.