Shillong, July 12 (PTI): Nine persons including two policemen were injured in brickbatting by Khasi Students Union (KSU) protesters in Meghalaya?s West Khasi hills district during the KSU-sponsored blockade, a police official said today.

West Khasi Hills superintendent of police A.R. Mawthoh said seven protesters and two policemen, including a deputy superintendent of police, were injured in the incident following a scuffle in the district headquarters of Nongstoin last night.

When policemen went to clear the blockade there, the protesters started throwing stones, Mawthoh said. The police resorted to a lathicharge to disperse the crowd and arrested one person, he said.

No untoward incident was reported from the other three districts-- East Khasi, Ri-Bhoi and Jaintia Hills, where the blockade is in effect. The blockade, which began on July 7 in four districts of Meghalaya along national highways 44 and 40 will continue till July 15 barring Sunday.

Supported by a number of social organisations of the four districts, the blockade is against the D. D. Lapang government?s move to revamp the Meghalaya Board Of School Education (MBOSE).

Tripura affected

The weeklong blockade of national highways 40 and 44 enforced by the Khasi Students Union (KSU) in Meghalaya has had an adverse effect on the Tripura transport system, reports our special correspondent from Agartala.

The night buses, carrying passengers from Guwahati to Agartala, start in the morning for fear of attacks during transit through Meghalaya. The passengers have to spend the night in the bus at a point within Tripura borders, as there is no escort after 2.30 pm to protect the vehicles against militant attacks.

Similarly, vehicles from Tripura that have to pass through Meghalaya start in the morning and halt for the night in the Kalain area of Cachar district. ?This has become a major problem as it takes more than 36 hours to reach Guwahati from Agartala now, whereas in the normal course it should not take more than 18 or 20 hours,? said Bishu Saha, joint secretary of Tripura Motor Shramik Union (TMSU).

Saha further said, ?The women suffer the most, as there are no proper toilet facilities for them outside Tripura.? He asserted that if this situation continued till July 16, the date announced by the KSU for ending the blockade, there could be a major crisis as transportation of essential items to Tripura and Mizoram would be seriously affected.

Saha said that the issue was discussed in the annual conference of the TMSU here yesterday where the state government?s intervention was sought. Official sources here said the state government was also deeply concerned over the blockade.

?We are certainly aware of the problem and hopeful that the Meghalaya chief minister D.D. Lapang will be able to persuade the KSU leaders to change their minds,? sources said. They added that if the problem persisted, chief minister Manik Sarkar would seek his Meghalaya counterpart?s help in defusing the situation.