Students enforce Indian oil blockade

Students enforce Indian oil blockade

GUWAHATI, India (AFP): Production and transportation of crude oil in the northeastern Indian state of Assam was hit by thousands of student protesters Monday who demanded more jobs in the sector, officials here said.

The All Assam Students' Union called a 120-hour blockade beginning Monday to press for the employment to some 300 jobless local Assamese in the state-owned Oil India Limited (OIL), the country's main oil exploration firm.

At least 1,000 protesters were arrested by the police around the OIL headquarters at Duliajan in eastern Assam, some 500 kilometers from the state capital of Guwahati, an official said.

The students' union claimed the blockade was a success with production crippled in various oilfields. They warned OIL's entire operation would be ground to a halt later Monday.