Imphal, August 19: Fear psychosis has been created in some areas of Kakching subdivision in Thoubal district after suspected NSCN(IM) cadres put pressure on local farmers for payment of �annual land rent�.

According to reports reaching here, several farmers, mostly sugarcane and vegetable growers of Kakching Sumang Leikai and Kakching Makha Leikai were forcibly taken from their respective fields situated on the hill slopes near Kuraopokpi village, 5 Km east of Kakching and detained for over three hours on August 11 last for their failure to pay �annual rent� of Rs 1000 by suspected cadres of the NSCN (IM).

The farmers, who were detained at Laiching Maring village, were released after forcing them to sign on a paper promising to make the payment within a short period of time.

Consequent upon the incident, some local clubs and other organizations of Kakching contacted the village authorities of Laiching Maring village to settle the matter and urged them against disturbing the cordial relationships existing among communities in the areas.

Local sources said some of the farmers were also forced to pay Rs 500 each by some antisocial elements in the name of some hill based organizations last year.

The sources added that because of the August 11 incident, the farmers had stopped going to their fields out of fear, and a fear psychosis prevails in the mind of the plains people of Kakching, Kuraopokpi, Kakching-Leima-ngaina Chingjil, and Pallel areas under Thoubal district, and also in the minds of residents of surrounding tribal villages, such as Kangshim Khoibu Maring village, Nungourok village, Siddartha village and Tuishimi village in Chandel district.

Because of the uneasy state of affairs prevailing in the Kakching and Pallel area, most of the tribes who usually come to Kakching bazar to sell their vegetables and other produce, have stopped coming.

As a direct result many residents of the tribal villages are facing problems of survival.

The sources added that some 700-800 acres of land situated in the foothills had long been allotted to some private individuals and to a co-operative Society ( Fidelity horticulture cum Sugarcane Growers Co-operative Society) and for more than 30 years the farmers had been working on the land, producing vegetables and cast crops with the least help from the government.

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