Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: A month-long brawl between taxi unions in Meghalaya and Assam ended September 8. Both states agreed to stop the gridlock and streamline vehicle movement. The peace deal follows a tense August 19 outbreak of violence that halted transport operations. Officials from both regions finally ironed out the details in Shillong.
Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister Sniawbhalang Dhar and Assam Minister Atul Bora chaired the session. Twelve total taxi associations attended. Seven groups arrived from Assam and five from Meghalaya. Dhar confirmed that Assam officials accepted demands for better airport parking and basic toilet facilities for drivers.
Police departments in both states received orders to stop harassing cabbies during routine checks. Coordination is now the priority. A new sub-committee will meet whenever needed to kill off future disputes before they boil over. Transport commissioners from both states will lead that team.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma pushed for a quick resolution after the August 19 fighting. Minister Bora met protesters in Guwahati on August 22 to calm nerves and demand an end to the blockade. Negotiations have moved quickly since then. Both sides now claim the roads are clear. As Dhar stated, "Both associations have committed to work together from now onwards. If any minor lapses remain, they will be resolved within a few days."
Bora noted that the situation is stable. "The associations are more or less happy. We are working on the resolutions adopted on August 23. Now the situation is normal," he added. Work continues on the official resolutions from late August to keep the peace.
Updated at 9th September 2026 at 1:49am
The unrest that sparked the blockade was tied to a black-flag bike rally organized by the Khasi Students Union. That event served as the flashpoint leading to the mid-August violence that stalled transport across the border.
Minister Bora confirmed the latest sit-down in Shillong took place at the specific request of the Meghalaya-based taxi associations, who wanted to follow up on the progress of earlier agreements.
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