Guwahati, 21 August (HS): National Highway 6 was blocked for nearly four hours on Friday as tourist car drivers from Assam staged a protest at Jorabat on the outskirts of Guwahati, with local residents also joining the demonstration.

The protest followed an incident in Shillong on August 19, when vehicles from Assam were allegedly targeted during a rally organised by the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU). For the second consecutive day, vehicles from Meghalaya were stopped from entering Assam through Jorabat.

Assam’s tourist car drivers blocked the highway from around 11 am to 3 pm, bringing traffic movement on the busy route to a standstill. Thousands of vehicles remained stranded in the resulting traffic jam for several hours.

The disruption also affected passengers travelling to catch flights and trains, while ambulances were reportedly caught in the prolonged congestion.

The blockade was lifted after assurances from the Assam and Meghalaya governments. Normal vehicular movement resumed after 3 pm.-----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash