Assam's Tea Garden Workers March To Demand Scheduled Tribes Status

Thousands of people from the tea garden community hit the streets of eastern Assam's Tinsukia district today, demanding Scheduled Tribe status. The demand has been a long-standing one. 

The ancestors of these people were brought to Assam by the British from other states -- Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal -- more than two centuries ago to work in the tea gardens. Now they account for one-third of Assam's one crore-plus population. 

During the protest rally today, people from the community marched long distances to assemble in Tinsukia town and raised their voices in support of their demand.

The protest rally was organised by the Assam Tea Tribe Students' Association and the All-Adivasi Students' Association of Assam at Thana Chariali, Tinsukia.

Besides Scheduled Tribe status, they also demanded land ownership rights and an increase in daily wages.

The rally, which coincided with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's visit to the town for an official event, saw thousands of protesters blocking roads and raising slogans against the government's inaction on their long-pending demands.

They accused the government of breaking its promise to grant ST status to tea tribes and five other indigenous communities. 

They also called for raising the minimum daily wage, terming the existing wage insufficient to meet basic living expenses.