Sugarcane farmers pay ransom to survive

KHARONI: The settler-farmers in the Kharoni area of Karbi Anglong have to pay ransom thrice a year to three different militant outfits to buy life and livelihood. The place churns out export quality organic molasses. The size of the molasses trade from the area is around Rs 2 crore annually.

Molasses from the area is supplied to Kolkata, Patna and Upper Assam areas and even Myanmar and China. However, for farmers, land is a constant worry as it cannot be inherited because the new law of the autonomous councils bars transfer of land to a nontribal. However, these people, who settled there several decades back, want the scrapping of the new land law. Manik Chauhan, a local farmer, told ET: ���We will convey our concern to LK Advaniji.���

Every year in January, from a daily wage earner to a small shop, every person has to pay ransom to militants. The sum ranges from Rs 5,000 to Rs 50,000 depending on the economic condition of the person.

Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF), lesser known Dimasa National Liberation Front (DNLF) and Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Garlosa faction), also known as the Black Widow, are the militant outfits active in the area. The place has witnessed killings of several Hindi-speaking people in the recent past. According to an official estimate, there are over 80,000 Hindispeaking people who settled in the district from Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

At least 90% of the settled Hindi speaking population there are engaged in sugarcane cultivation. People in the area live in constant fear. ���We produce organic quality molasses, but every household has to pay illegal tax for survival. Even when businessmen from outside come to purchase the produce, they have to pay ransom,��� said Ghumar Chauhan, a local farmer.

Kharoni alone dispatches 26 quintals of molasses everyday. The cost of a quintal varies from Rs 2,500 to Rs 3,000.
There are about 6,93,000 voters in the two districts of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills and both the districts come under one parliamentary seat. There are about 2 lakh Hindi speaking voters in the constituency. However, Kulendu Doulagapua, the BJP candidate contesting the polls from the seat, assured to repeal the land law if voted to power.