AATSA's 12-hour bandh affects normal life in Assam's Tinsukia

Guwahati: Life in Upper Assam's Tinsukia district came to a standstill on Wednesday due to a 12-hour bandh called by the Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA) as a mark of protest against the murder of a tea garden chowkidar.

Almost all the shops were closed down, and a minimum flow of traffic was observed, owing to the shutdown. Not to be deterred by a torrential downpour, the student body's members poured onto the streets in great numbers and raised slogans. They also said that the death of the tea garden employee would not be accepted at any cost and demanded immediate justice from the Government.

"The bandh has been supported by the general public, and we are grateful. The incident that occurred is shocking and similar incidents have been going on for ages. We have appealed the authorities to stop the theft of tea from estates. Although some steps are taken when protests are called, it has been witnessed that these measures are temporary", an ATTSA member told media persons. 

Unrest has prevailed in Tinsukia ever since the chowkidar of the Betjan tea garden in Tinsukia was found murdered on Monday. The mutilated body of Jeky Baigar alias Raju was recovered from No. 18 Sector of Betjan TE on Tuesday morning. According to locals, he was hacked to death by unidentified assailants.

The incident has angered the locals and workers of the tea garden who are up in arms over the murder incident. After the watchman was found murdered, locals carried the body to the middle of the National Highway and blocked traffic in protest of the killing. The protesters squatted on NH-37 in Makum with the body and did not allow police to carry the body for post-mortem.

With the intervention of police and district administration, the protesters released the body at 4 pm though ATTSA activists in the entire tea garden belt, including Doomdooma, Talap, and Margherita, blocked the roads leading to Tinsukia. The workers have demanded speedy justice for the deceased and identification of the killer at the earliest.

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