Guwahati, Aug. 21: At least 10 Marwari families have deserted their homes and shops in Sonitpur’s tea gardens and returned to Rajasthan fearing attacks by the National Democratic Front of Boroland, which has been serving extortion notes to the community for the past few months.

The secretary of the Dhekiajuli Marwari panchayat in Sonitpur, Munna Chandak, said six businessmen and their families have left for their home state in the past 15 days.

Four other families have fled Rangapara.

“Some other families are camping in Dhekiajuli town and looking for people to sell off their shops. They will leave for Rajasthan as soon as they can do so,” Chandak said.

The business community of Dhekiajuli has faxed a memorandum to Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Ghelot to take up the matter with the Assam government.

Almost every tea garden in Assam has at least one provision store run by Marwaris.

These stores sell a variety of items and cater to the labour community and managers alike.

Chandak said the district’s Marwari community has been living here for over a century and has assimilated itself with the local society, but “we are still a hunted lot.”

Radheshyam Parekh, a businessman in Dhekiajuli town, confirmed that a memorandum has been sent to the Rajasthan chief minister but declined to divulge details.

“Such a memorandum has been sent to the Rajasthan chief minister about four days back seeking his intervention in this matter,” he said.

Another businessman said they were forced to knock on Gehlot’s door as the Assam government has not been able to guarantee their security. “Some are paying to survive, but all the time ominous threats loom over us,” he said.

An official source said almost all the owners of garden stores have been served with extortion notices by the NDFB, especially in Sonitpur district, in the past few months.

The exodus began soon after an employee of a departmental store at Sapai tea estate, Subash Das, was abducted on August 6.

Das was whisked away by unidentified assailants from the store at gunpoint and has been missing since.

The owner of the store, Narsimah Parekh, who was served an extortion notice by the NDFB, left for Rajasthan soon after, selling off the store at a “throwaway price”.

Durga Bahadur, another employee of a store in Dhansiri tea estate, was also kidnapped, but was released a few days later.

The owner of the store did not take chances and left for Rajasthan soon after, a source said.

The superintendent of police of Sonitpur district, Surendra Kumar, said the police were not aware of the exodus.

“These businessmen with stores in tea gardens keep coming and leaving the state. It may be a temporary exodus,” he said.

He, however, said there were reports of NDFB serving extortion notices to store owners in tea estates.

“These tea estates are located in remote areas and it is difficult to keep a watch on them all the time,” he said.