Unemployment, hunger, malnourishment and lack of medical aid have forced human trafficking from closed tea gardens

PRASHANT ACHARYA, EOI, Siliguri, 5 Dec 2015: Unemployment, hunger, malnourishment and lack of medical aid have forced human trafficking from closed tea gardens.

NGOs and Trade Union leaders of various tea gardens have warned the tea workers not to fall in prey with the strangers of inmates who lures of good money and job outside.

HirenLohar, Panighatta unit president of GorkhaJanamuktiMorcha (GJM) said, "Human Traffickers have started targeting Panighatta Tea Estate since it's closed for more than a month and government have not yet moved in a positive way to reopen the garden."

According to Lohar several youth have already left the area in-search of work and it has become concern for the females that the traffickers may lure them for money and job to push them into flesh trade. Since 16th November 2015 five people including three permanent workers have died in Panighatta for alleged malnourishment and lack of medical assistance.

With tea garden owners leaving their workers to fend for themselves, more than 2,500 people, mostly women and children, have died in the past five years mainly due to malnutrition, said Lohar.

DiwakariChhetri, president of ChengaNariSewaSamity urged the government to intervene into the matter immediately and adopt the garden if the owner does not show further interest in running the garden. She said that several women specially female youths will soon be forced to work outside and can fall in prey of agents and touts to move into the wrong track."We are making them aware of the facts of working outside without proper investigation and knowing the identity of the person taking them for jobs, said Chhetri.Not only in Terai are the gardens of Dooars facing the same situation.

SarojChhetri a local tea garden union leader of Bagracote tea estate in Dooarswhich is closed since last one week said, “Despite of several women being trafficked from Dooars the government has not yet acted strictly neither organized any awareness programmers among workers.”He also informed that agents from local area along with Siliguri, Kolkata lure poor workers for paying high salary and find lucrative jobs in metros and other states. ‘Finally the workers are sold and made bonded labours’ he said.

Raju Nepali, founder of ‘Duars Express Mail and NGO working on human trafficking and child labour said, “Out of 223 tea gardens in Dooars area more than 1000 girls and women are still not rescued those who were trapped by the agents of Delhi and Mumbai. He also informed that the sleeping agents from local area gets Rs 5000/- to 10000/- per girl from the placement agents of the metros and then they are sold for Rs 60000/- to 80000/- to the house owners who keep these poor workers as bonded labour, torturing inhumanely.

With 14 tea gardens out of 277, all located in North Bengal under lock-out, more than 14,000 workers have been affected, not to talk about over 70,000 people directly connected with the industry.