Dibrugarh: A massive protest erupted in Dibrugarh on Monday as thousands from the tea tribe and Adivasi communities took to the streets demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, higher daily wages, and land rights.
With an estimated two to three lakh participants, the rally, held at Chowkidinghee Chariali, witnessed unprecedented mobilisation from across the district, shaking the heart of Assam’s tea town with chants and slogans calling for recognition and reform.
The demonstration was jointly organised by the All Assam Tea Tribe Students’ Association (AATTSA), Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA), Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (ASA), All Assam Tea Community National Assembly, and the 36 Janajati Parishad.
“Today at 1 PM in Chowkidinghee Chariali, with the support of ACMS, ATTSA, AASAA, 36 Janajati Parishad, and others, we staged a democratic demonstration. There are nearly two to three lakh supporters here and our demands are simple increase in daily wage to ₹551, recognition of the communities as Scheduled Tribes, and land rights,” said a demonstrator.
Protesters marched peacefully from Mankota field, Barpathar field, and MJBT ground, before converging at Chowkidinghee field around 10 AM.
Another protester said, “From Dibrugarh, we send a message to the Assam government and the Centre tea workers and the Adivasi community are awake. If our demands aren’t met before 2026, we will, without hesitation, treat the BJP as we did the Congress.”
In the wake of the protest, all tea gardens in Dibrugarh remained closed, and several educational institutions declared holidays or saw low attendance due to transport disruptions. Despite the massive turnout, the rally remained peaceful, with organisers repeatedly urging demonstrators to maintain calm and discipline.
No incidents of violence were reported till the filing of this report.
The demonstration comes just days after a similar protest in Tinsukia on October 8, which also saw participation from thousands across the region under the banner of various student and workers’ organisations.