Vehicles either bound for or from Mokokchung, have bypassed the Mokokchung-Mariani route following the bandh imposed earlier by the All Assam Tea Tribes Students Association (AATTSA) since Friday morning.
The AATTSA had imposed the road blockade with a 24-hour deadline till Saturday demanding the arrest of Naga villagers from Nokpu/Saring Nokpu ‘B’ responsible for the alleged abduction of two adivasis from the Mariani-Nokpu border area.
Talking to Nagaland Post over phone, DC Mokokchung Muruho Chotsu, said that there was no confirmation of whether the bandh was indefinite.
He however said bands of Adivasi youths were ‘patrolling’ certain pockets of Mariani town with the motive of targeting Nagaland vehicles. Muruho disclosed that he was in constant touch with his Jorhat counterpart.
He also advised travellers to avoid Mariani till the situation improved. Muruho also said all vehicles to and from Mokokchung were currently taking the old route of Jorhat-Amguri-Mokokchung road.
On Friday tea community members backed by AATSA gathered at Mariani police station from 9 a.m. and demanded immediate arrest of those involved in the assault.
The mob then stopped vehicles from Nagaland and assaulted the occupants. Eight Nagas were injured and two vehicles were damaged.