NSCN(R) serves extortion notices to Jorhat villagers

TENSION ALONG ASSAM-GALAND BORDER

Villagers at Holonguri tea estate get death threats if they refuse to pay, police intensify patrolling in vulnerable areas

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

JORHAT, Feb 16: Tension prevailed along Assam-galand border areas in Jorhat district on Thursday after a ga militant outfit issued extortion notices to 16 Assamese villagers the day before.

According to police, the tiolist Socialist Council of galand/galim, Republic (NSCN-R) has issued extortion notes to 16 Assamese villagers residing at Holonguri tea estate situated along Assam-galand border in Jorhat district, threatening to kill them if they fail to pay up.

“Four armed ga militants distributed the demand letters to the Assamese villagers on Wednesday and issued ultimatum to pay the amounts within February. Our investigation is on to b the culprits,” said Lu Sonowal, Subdivisiol Police Officer (Titabor).

Talking to The Sentinel, Sonowal also said, “Today we visited the trouble-torn areas and took stock of the situation there. We have talked with our ga counterparts to help in the arrest of culprits. Accordingly, the ga village council members assured to help us.”

Thousands of Assamese villagers are now passing sleepless nights after the ga militants’ threat. Police have been conducting additiol patrolling in vulnerable areas, calling upon the public not to panic.

The Assam-galand border dispute is a decades-old problem. The two neighbors share a 434-km boundary in Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat and Karbi Anglong districts.  Assam says galand has been encroaching upon over 66,000 hectares land so far, including over 42,000 hectares in Golaghat alone. The encroached area also includes over 80 per cent of reserved forests.

The two States have held meetings at various levels, signing several agreements to maintain status quo. In September 2006, the Supreme Court set up a three-member local commission headed by a retired judge to identify the boundary. However, the matter is still pending before the apex court.