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Ultra groups� demands cause panic in TEs

By R Dutta Choudhury

GUWAHATI, Dec 16 � Tea gardens of Assam have always been a happy hunting ground for the militant groups and in recent months, frequent extortion demands by the militants belonging to the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) created panic among the gardens located in the north bank of the river Brahmaputra. The recent kidnapping of the manager of the Menaka Tea estate in Baska district has once again highlighted the threat faced by the managers and other officials of the gardens located in the remote areas.

Security sources admitted that most of the gardens in the north bank of the Brahmaputra started receiving demands from the NDFB anti-talk faction members since the last three months and the demands are ranging from Rs five to Rs 10 lakh.

Sources said that most of the gardens did not receive any formal demand notes and the militants are demanding money over phone and on some occasions, the police and security agencies managed to get the numbers from which the militants are making the calls but there have been very little success in apprehending those involved in extortions as the militants frequently change their locations.

Sources said that it is not known whether any garden has paid the demanded amount in recent times but many of the gardens have informed the police after receiving demands from the militants. There have also been instances when miscreants made calls to the gardens in the name of the NDFB in a bid to earning easy money, sources added.

Referring to the kidnapping of Kamlesh Gupta, the manager of Menaka tea estate located near the international border with Bhutan, sources said that though the garden received demands from militants in the past, in recent times, there was no such demand from any group and the kidnapping came as a surprise.

Gupta was kidnapped from his residence on the evening of December 14 by a group of around 12 militants armed with small arms. Gupta was provided with a PSO but he was caught off guard when the incident took place and the policeman could not use his weapon. Gupta reportedly tried to resist but he was literally dragged away by the militants.

Security sources said that the involvement of the anti-talk faction of the NDFB has been confirmed, but the militant outfit might also have used some local youths to carry out the operation. The NDFB has already contacted the family members of Gupta over phone but it is not known whether any specific amount has been demanded.

Sources said that though the anti-talk faction of the NDFB has been suffering major setbacks in recent times, some members are still active in the areas bordering Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh by taking advantage of the terrain.

The tea gardens of the north bank of the Brahmaputra also receive demand notes from the militants under cease-fire agreement, including the pro-talk faction of the NDFB and the Birsa Commando Force. But the demands are not very high and they always claim that they need the money to run the designated camps.

Meanwhile, tea industry sources told The Assam Tribune that the demands from the militants caused fear psychosis among the tea gardens in the north bank of the Brahmaputra, particularly after the kidnapping of the manager of the Menaka tea estate.

Industry sources said that most of the gardens of Assam cannot afford to keep personnel of the Assam Tea Plantation Security Force and only a handful of gardens belonging to the major companies can afford such expenses, while the executives of the gardens located in the remote areas are forced to live under constant fear.

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