ga threat hangs over tea gardens

Fresh tension on Sivasagar-galand border after quit notices

Our Bureau

zira/ Guwahati, June 29: Small tea growers on the Assam-galand border areas in Sivasagar district are being forced to close down their gardens following threats from ga miscreants.

Sources said on June 24, a group of ga miscreants swooped down on the gardens of some small tea growers in the Geleky area bordering galand’s Longleng district and asked the labourers to stop plucking.

“They sent letters through labourers to garden owners to retreat from the gardens after June 28. The miscreants claimed to be members of a group called Nychichang Bang (Morang),” the sources said, adding that the miscreants claimed that land up to Lahdoigarh belongs to the gas.

The miscreants also warned the labourers and garden owners of “dire consequences” if they failed to adhere to the diktat.

While it is peak season time of the tea industry, the fresh threat from ga miscreants has triggered panic in the border areas, with most small tea growers stopping all activities at their gardens.

Sivasagar additiol superintendent of police Jayanta Sarthi Bora confirmed the threats and said, “We have registered a case. We have also seized a copy of the letter issued by the miscreants. We are investigating as to who is behind it.”

There are Assam Police battalion personnel deployed in the 6,400 hectare Geleky forest, but questions have been raised about their effectiveness after the incident.

Meanwhile, the Assam government has begun constructing a forest protection camp at Radhasoo in Behali reserve forest of Biswath police sub division. A large contingent of security forces led by Biswath SP Mavendra Dev Roy, SDO(C) Pallab Gopal Jha and DFO Subhashis Das are overseeing the construction.

The move comes following repeated threats and encroachments by Aruchalee miscreants on that stretch of the inter-state border.

A senor Assam hope department official said the “area belongs to Assam and we won’t allow any further encroachment.”

On the other hand, some reports said people from Aruchal Pradesh are camping in the harjan area of Behali forest. Police are verifying the information.