Guwahati: A massive protest erupted in Tinsukia, Assam, on October 8, as thousands of Adivasis and tea-garden workers gathered at the Hukan Pukhuri playground demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, land ownership rights, and a wage hike.
Organised by the Assam Tea Tribe Students’ Association (ATTSA) and the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA), the demonstration saw people from several tea estates unite under one banner to press for long-overdue rights.
Speakers at the rally reiterated that despite their vital role in Assam’s tea industry, most Adivasi and tea-garden families continue to live without land pattas, access to quality education, or healthcare. The community has also been pushing for a minimum daily wage of ₹351 and long-term welfare schemes.
With Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma scheduled to visit the district, the protest took on added political significance. Security forces were deployed in large numbers to maintain order.
Organisers warned that the movement will continue across Assam until concrete action is taken, declaring the protest a “fight for dignity, identity, and justice.”
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