BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 20th August 2025: Farmers in Durganagar Panchayat under the Rajnagar assembly constituency are grappling with a growing crisis as the Forest department has reportedly imposed restrictions on rubber cultivation in a decades-old plantation area.
The plantation estimated to be 40–50 years old was once known for cashew farming. However, with aging trees and declining yields, local cultivators have shifted their focus to rubber, a crop that has become their primary source of livelihood. Now, they say, that lifeline is under threat.
According to farmers, the Forest department has informed them that rubber cultivation will no longer be permitted in the area. This directive has sparked concern and confusion among cultivators who claim they have been farming there for generations. “We’ve been cultivating here for nearly half a century. If rubber farming is stopped, how will we feed our families?” one farmer said.
Adding to their distress, incidents of nighttime vandalism have been reported, with unknown individuals allegedly cutting down and burning rubber trees under the cover of darkness. Farmers say these acts have left them devastated and fearful for their future.
In response, the Tripura State Committee of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has issued a formal demand to the Forest Department, urging immediate permission for rubber cultivation to continue. The organization warned that if the issue remains unresolved, farmers will be forced to launch a larger protest movement in the coming days.
Local cultivators, backed by AIKS, are calling for urgent intervention to safeguard their livelihoods and prevent further destruction of the plantation.
