"Most of the truckers are Hindi-speakers and they are reluctant to come to Assam from other parts of the country carrying essentials," an Assam Chambers of Commerce spokesman said.

"The state will witness a food crisis as most of the essentials come from outside the region. Already we have noticed prices of goods going up manifold."

Assam has been rocked by violent clashes between Hindi-speaking settlers and locals for the past nine days in which 46 people -- all from the nearby state of Bihar -- have been killed.

Assam's strategic geographical location -- forming a bridge between the main mass of India and the other six northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura -- makes it the gateway to the region.

The only highway connecting the rest of India with the northeast -- which adjoins Bangladesh -- runs through Assam and this route carries all supplies including and food and fuel to the six provinces.

On Monday morning, senior police official Khagen Sharma told AFP that there had been no overnight incidents of violence and the situation "is fast returning to normal."

To instill confidence among the people, authorities were forming vigilante groups in vulnerable areas involving local Assamese youths to foil attacks on Hindi-speakers.

"We are taking all security and other measures to bring down the situation under control," Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi told AFP.

A curfew, still in place in many parts of eastern Assam, may be relaxed later Monday, police official Sharma said.