A CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: Thousands of people belonging to Assam's tea tribe and Adivasi communities on Monday staged a massive protest against the BJP-led state government in Dibrugarh on Monday.
Their demands included inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe (ST) list, a hike in daily wages to Rs 551, and legal allotment of land to landless families. The protestors also slammed the BJP-led state government for failing to deliver on long-standing promises made to the community.
Protestors from across the district converged in the city in large numbers, marching from four key locations to Chowkidinghee intersection. The coordinated movement caused major traffic congestion during peak hours, and several schools declared a holiday in anticipation of disruptions.
The rally was organized jointly by the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA), All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam (AASAA), 36 Janajati Parishad, and Chah Jonogustiyo Jatiya Mahasabha.
Addressing the gathering, ATTSA president Dhiraj Gowala said, "Despite being one of the largest communities in the state, we remain the most deprived. The BJP has used our support to win elections, yet it fails to deliver justice. If land can be allotted for party offices and private projects on tea garden estates, why can't the landless tea workers, who are citizens of this country, be given legal land rights?" Gowala also criticized Tribal Sangha leader Aditya Khakhlari for opposing ST status for the Adivasi communities.
ACMS Dibrugarh Secretary Nabin Chandra Keot said that even after 78 years of independence, tea tribes and Adivasi communities live in poverty, denied access to basic rights. He called the three demands 'non-negotiable' and warned that failure to address them before the 2026 Assembly elections could cost the government dearly.
Former Union Minister and five-time MP from Dibrugarh, Paban Singh Ghatowar, lent his support during a speech at Mancotta Field before the march began.
The organizers announced that similar protests would soon be held across all districts to intensify pressure on the state government. Some 218 tea estates, 24,000 small growers' plantations, and 70 bought-leaf factories were affected, as the workers participated significantly in Monday's rally.
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