SHILLONG, Feb 10: A group of tourist taxi operators on Wednesday said they have been forced to join the ongoing strike and their vehicles bearing Meghalaya registration number were pelted with stones at Umsning and Khanapara.
“We had issued a statement, which appeared in the press, against going on strike but a group of men showed up at our stand and forced us to stop operating,” said a member of an organisation against the strike.
He said that they approached the Superintendent of Police who assured security. “But stones were thrown at our vehicles today (Wednesday) at Umsning and Khanapara. The windshield of a vehicle was shattered,” a taxi operator said.
The dissident associations said that the strike called by the Meghalaya Joint Action Committee of Commercial Vehicles (MJACCV) has seriously affected the business climate in the state, especially in Shillong.
“The strike at a time when the tourism sector was beginning to look up after the setback due to the COVID-19 pandemic could be disastrous,” a member of the non-striking groups said.
The associations against the strike include Meghalaya People’s Labour Union, Meghalaya Tourist Transporters’ Association, Hynniewtrep Tourist Taxi Association, Khasi Hills Tourist Taxi Association, All Shillong Tourist Taxi Drivers’ Organisation, Tour Operators’ Association of Meghalaya and Federation of Shillong Hotels (FSH).
The indefinite strike entered its eighth day on Wednesday as the state government continued to be quiet on the issue and commuters suffered. The strike has also taken a toll on business activities in the capital city.
Shopkeepers in Iewduh, the largest traditional market, lamented that the strike has affected their business as a majority of the customers from rural areas have not been able to come to Shillong.
Vimal Bajal, a shopkeeper in the city said, “Business is being paralysed and shopkeepers are affected. I wish the problem would be resolved at the earliest for the benefit of everyone.”
But the MJACCV showed no signs of relenting and threatened to join an underground outfit if the state government did not resolve the issues raised by them.
“The drivers are ready to go underground if the government continues to ignore us,” Wandonbok Jyrwa, the committee’s president said.
He said the East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner had invited them for talks at 4 pm on Thursday but they refused. “A district head is not competent enough to decide on reduction of taxes by 50%, one of our demands,” he added.
Jyrwa said the meeting should be either with the Commissioner and Secretary of Transport and Taxes or the Minister concerned or both.
