No Rations No Road : Tea Workers Shut Down NH37 In Cachar Protest

Silchar: A fiery protest erupted today as hundreds of tea garden workers from the Palarband area in Lakhipur Cachar blocked a significant stretch of National Highway 37, halting traffic and demanding that garden authorities immediately restore their ration supplies.

The demonstration, marked by impassioned chants and placards, quickly grew tense when demonstrators set up a road blockade, bringing traffic to a standstill on the key route connecting Cachar to Assam’s broader regions. Local transport services including passenger buses and commercial vehicles remained stranded for hours as protesters intensified their demands.

According to workers, the Palarband garden management has repeatedly deprived the labourers of their entitled ration supplies, a fundamental right under Plantation Labour norms. The suppression of this vital assistance, combined with persistent wage delays, prompted the workforce to take to the streets in protest. A local trade union spokesperson accused the management of "systemic neglect of basic labour rights" and said the denial of even essentials like food was "unacceptable.

Meaanwhile, District Administration officials and representatives from the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) were swiftly deployed to the site to diffuse the situation. Negotiations are underway to de-escalate tensions and reach a resolution. A senior district official assured, “We are committed to resolving this matter expeditiously. The rational supply and pending dues will be our immediate focus.”

The ACMS, Assam’s largest tea garden labour union, has long advocated for workers' welfare, highlighting widespread grievances across the state’s tea-growing regions including inadequate wages, poor housing, and lack of social benefits.

This protest underscores a broader pattern of discontent among Assam's tea workers. In recent months, similar agitations have taken place statewide, with workers demanding higher daily wages, Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for tea-garden communities, improved healthcare, education for workers' children, and timely payment of provident fund and gratuity dues.

As the Palarband blockade continues, the agitation throws a spotlight on the enduring struggles of Assam’s tea labourers who, despite fueling one of the region's most vital industries, continue to contend with basic violations of their rights.

Also Read:https://www.sentinelassam.com/more-news/international/parts-of-balochistan-shut-down-amid-police-crackdown-on-peaceful-protest

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