India became independent in 1947, but not its tea gardens: AASAA

From our Correspondent

Bongaigaon, September 6: “Though the British have left India, British rule is still going on in the tea gardens of Assam,” said Pradip g, president of All Adivasi Students Association of Assam (AASAA) on Tuesday at a press in Bongaigaon. He said that India had become independent in 1947, but not the tea gardens. “We, the labourers of tea gardens are still exploited in such a way as British used to exploit Indians before Independence,” he said. Several leaders of the organization including Josheph Minz, secretary, Rejan Horo, vice-president, Tarsius Ekka, organizing secretary and Amrit Jojo, Bongaigaon district president were present in this meet. Through this press meet they demanded the Government of Assam for ST categorization of Adivasi community, fixing of minimum wage of Rs 330 for the tea garden labourers, distributing all pending provident fund and pension fund to the retired tea garden labourers and giving 20 pc bonus to the tea garden workers.

Joseph Minz in his speech said that still tea garden workers were getting less than Rs 100 per day in many gardens. “Adivasi people working in tea gardens are deprived of their basic needs. At a time when the Central Government has fixed minimum Rs 18,000 salary per month for a Central Government employee, a tea garden worker is getting less than Rs 3,000 per month as salary. How will they survive? How will have a proper living with this minimum salary? This is all due to negligence of the Assam Government. We demand that the Assam Government should fix the minimum wage for the tea garden workers without any pressure from any anti-labour elements.

We also demand that one joint commission of tiol Human Resource Department and Labour Department should be formed to inspect whether the labour acts are followed by the garden administration or not. We also demand that some so-called political leaders who are occupying posts in Assam Tea Tribe Welfare Society should be thrown out because they cannot understand the problems of labourers and hence cannot negotiate with the administration properly,” he said.