HT DIGITAL
GUWAHATI, AUGUST 19: A political controversy has broken out in Assam following Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s Independence Day comments, where he termed taxi service drivers—especially those employed by Ola and Uber—”unknown.” The remark has invited strong condemnation from cab drivers’ organisations throughout the state.
Standing by his statements, Sarma made it clear that his concern was merely for “strangers” and not for “known people.” In his defense of what he said, he stated, “If some drivers stop driving their vehicles, I will be pleased. Let them stop driving. I am speaking the truth—I am talking of strangers. Known people don’t need to be restrained. I am talking about strangers only. This government is anti-stranger. What I have been saying has been proven true.”
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Three influential cab drivers’ associations—the All Assam Cab Operators’ Union, Sadau Asom Cab Mazdoor Sangha, and the All Guwahati Cab Drivers’ Union—joined hands against the state government and Transport Department. They blamed the department for “oppressing” drivers and letting in “unknown elements” into the industry. The associations claimed that since the Transport Department is the licensing authority, it is responsible for the current situation.
The unions have asked the Chief Minister to withdraw his statement within the month of August. They threatened more protests if their demand is not met. “If the Chief Minister does not apologize for his blunder, we will hit the streets. Motor workers from all over Assam will join the protest. We will impose a total chakka bandh on the state, and as a last resort, we will also organize a protest in Delhi,” they announced.
Confronting the CM himself, the cab drivers asked him to explain what he meant by “unknown elements.” They said the statement had insulted and isolated thousands of drivers. “We want our identity back. The Chief Minister has pushed the cab drivers of Assam into a war that we never wanted. Do not play politics on our backs. We toil day and night only to earn two square meals a day,” the unions said.
They also emphasized that their fight is nothing but a matter of livelihood, not politics. “Do not bring Hindu-Muslim politics to the lives of cab drivers,” they said, emphasizing that their sole aspiration is to survive. “We don’t have aspirations of purchasing land, houses, buildings, or luxury cars. We drive cabs just to survive and somehow settle the EMIs of our vehicles.”
