Meghalaya: Assam Taxi Drivers Confront Meghalaya's Black Flag Protest, Demand Respect for State Borders

SHILLONG: Tensions between Assam and Meghalaya flared following the strong opposition of Assam tourist taxi drivers to the ongoing Black Flag protest launched by the All Khasi Meghalaya Tourist Taxi Association in the Khasi-Jaintia Hills. The stir, meant to push back on the influx of out-of-state vehicles ferrying tourists to Meghalaya's scenic destinations, sparked a confrontation that crossed borders-quite literally.

On September 11, taxi drivers in Assam were in a state of dismay due to protests spilling into Assam and demanded that these protests must be confined strictly within Meghalaya. Drivers feel such protests put extra pressure on the Meghalaya government to impose bans on non-state vehicles, thus affecting livelihoods dependent on tourism across state borders.

Tensions escalated in July when Assam-registered tourist taxis were not allowed to proceed to popular destinations such as Sohra and Dawki. A local pressure group, along with Meghalaya's taxi drivers, made the Assam taxis turn back midway at Umtyngngar. This incident added fuel to the growing dissatisfaction among Assam's drivers, who felt they were being unfairly targeted.

A viral video of the incident in Assam had captured the shouting between the drivers of the two states. In the video, a group of Assam taxi drivers was seen to confront a Meghalaya driver as to why his vehicle is sporting a black flag—a symbol of the ongoing protest—within the borders of Assam. "Why are you showing the black flag in Assam? This is a protest for Meghalaya, not us," the Assam driver is heard saying in the video. The Meghalaya driver finally took off the flag apparently unaware of what the protest was about and, the situation diffused.

The "Black Flag Week" protest by AKMTTA starts from September 9 to 14, calling upon the local taxi drivers in Meghalaya to hoist black flags in protest against non-local tourist vehicles plying their trade in the state. The union has been vocal about Meghalaya Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh, accusing him of failing to raise their issues on the restriction of out-of-state vehicles with the government.

Lyngdoh, however, emphasized the imperative need to unify all local taxi operators in the state. He said that almost 60 percent of the drivers of Meghalaya are not represented by any registered association and stressed the dire need for more tourist taxis. He also called for better coordination between the local drivers and those of Assam on mutual economic benefits for tourism between both states.

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