Worker kills himself in closed Redbank - Family says mental stress because of low earnings drove temporary tea labourer to suicide

TT, Dec. 15: A temporary worker of the shut Redbank Tea Estate in the Dooars set himself on fire at his home yesterday and died following frequent quarrels in the family over his inability to meet household expenses after the closure of the garden.

Two other residents of the estate passed away in the past 48 hours for lack of treatment even as the state government told the Assembly today that nobody had died in any tea garden because of starvation or absence of healthcare.

The Redbank estate had been abandoned by owner Robin Paul in October 2013. The state government invited him for talks to discuss the garden's reopening, but there was no response from his side. Finally, the government cancelled the lease of the garden in November last year.

The state couldn't find a new owner for the estate located in Dhupguri block of Jalpaiguri district. The permanent workers numbering around 1,000 are paid Rs 1,500 each a month and given food grains at subsidised rate and free healthcare by the state government. But temporary workers of Redbank, like in other closed tea gardens, are not entitled to the financial assistance and they receive only food grains and healthcare from the government.

Mahesh Mahali, a 42-year-old temporary worker of Redbank, killed himself as he had to run a 10-member family.

"He was the sole earning member of the family. Ever since the garden was closed, he was doing odd jobs to earn money. But his income was too inadequate to run the family. There were quarrels in the family quite often as he was frustrated over not being able to earn enough for us," Rosa, Mahali's wife, said today.

Yesterday afternoon, Mahali collected a bottle of petrol and set himself on fire at his home in the Salboni division of Redbank estate. He was rushed to Jalpaiguri district hospital where he died later at night. A post-mortem was conducted and Mahali's body was buried in the garden today.

As Mahali died at Jalpaiguri, Kotwali police station there registered a case of unnatural death.

Gopal Sarkar, a leader of the INTUC-backed National Union of Plantation Workers and based in Redbank, said jobless workers were earning by working on riverbeds. "They collect pebbles from riverbeds and are paid by contractors. But recently, that work has also stopped. Most of the temporary workers, who are not entitled to the financial assistance, are finding it tough to arrange even one square meal a day. Several people like Mahali, who have large families, are living under abnormal mental stress. We are apprehensive that some others might also take such drastic steps like him," Sarkar said.

Sita Oraon, 50, another temporary worker of Redbank, who was paralytic and suffering from other ailments, died at her quarter last night. The family members said they were too poor to take Oraon to hospital for treatment.

Kulbahadur Gurung, 61, a retired worker of Redbank, died at his home on Sunday night. He was suffering from different diseases and couldn't be treated for lack of money.

Prakash Mridha, the chief medical officer of health, Jalpaiguri, said there had been no deaths because of lack of treatment in Redbank. "We have kept ambulances in closed and ailing tea gardens. Health workers are on alert and medical teams are visiting the gardens on a regular basis. There have been no deaths because of lack of treatment in Redbank," Mridha said.

Deaths were also reported from the estates of Duncans Goenka Group. Dominique Soren, 45, a permanent worker of Dhumchipara Tea Estate, died early this morning. Sumitra Devi, 45, a resident of Bijli Line in Birpara Tea Estate, died at her home last night.

"My earnings have come down sharply in the past five-six months. It is difficult to buy even food grains, let alone medicines. My wife was having heart problems and was ill for over a week. I could not arrange money to take her to hospital. She died at our home yesterday night," said her husband Brinda Thakur, who runs a barber shop in the garden.

In reply to a supplementary question from CPM member Mamata Roy in the Assembly today, labour minister Malay Ghatak said nobody had died because of starvation or lack of treatment in any tea garden in north Bengal.

Another CPM MLA Shajahan Chowdhury stood up to claim that altogether 258 people had died in tea gardens till today. He wanted to know from the minister on what account Rs 100 crore earmarked for the welfare of tea garden employees was spent.

Trinamul MLA Ashok Ghosh, in apparent defence of the minister, asked if the government had any record of deaths in tea gardens that took place before 2011 when the Left Front was in power.

In reply to a question from government chief whip Shavondeb Chattopadhaya, the minister said talks were on with the Duncan management to ensure that the tea gardens "function normally".

Ziaur Alam, the Jalpaiguri district secretary of the CITU, today attacked the central and state governments for not finding owners for Redbank, Dharanipur, Surendranagar and Bandapani tea gardens in the Dooars after the land lease of the estates had been cancelled last year.