Citu numbers fall in Dooars tea belt

TT, Jalpaiguri, Aug. 28: The support base of Citu in the Dooars tea belt has depleted with 10,000-odd members leaving over the past five years, according to the secretarial report of the union presented today.

The report was made public by Jalpaiguri district leaders of the union at a two-day district conference of the union that concluded here today.

According to the report submitted by Ziaur Alam, the Jalpaiguri district Citu secretary, around 10,000 members of the Citu-backed Cha Bagan Mazdoor Union left between 2011 and 2015.

"There were over 30,000 members of the CBMU in 2011. The figure came down to 21,000 in 2015. It is a matter of concern because even after Trinamul came to power, we had the highest support base in the tea estates of the Terai and Dooars. Such depletion indicates that there were shortcomings that the leaders couldn't handle," a Citu senior leader said.

It has also been mentioned in the report that activities of the CBMU had come down in most blocks of Jalpaiguri district, other than Sadar and Metelli. "A separate committee of the CBMU was floated by some union leaders after a Alipurduar district was formed, which affected our support base," the leader said.

An Intuc leader in Siliguri said CBMU was the most important constituent of the Joint Forum, a platform of 24 tea unions. "Despite Trinamul being in power and having around four tea unions, the state and tea planters are forced to get assent from the Joint Forum in case of any decision. Under such circumstances, if the Citu has a withering support base in tea belt, it is significant."

Another union leader attributed the drop in numbers to the social schemes floated by the state and the chief minister's visits to the tea belt.

Alam said he was confident of regaining support. "We are working consistently."

At least four unions of the Citu in different sectors in Jalpaiguri have ceased to exist, a leader said .

Trinamul leaders were happy with the report.

Mohan Sharma, president, ad hoc committee of Cha Bagan Trinamul Mazdoor Workers' Union, said: "For decades, the Citu and Left leaders have worked in tea belt for their own interests and could not help the tea workers and their families in any manner. From 2011, the state government has taken up a series of development projects and schemes for the tea population."

He added: "Members of the unions have realised it and deserted the Citu. Several of them have joined our union and more people will join soon. Considering the manner in which the chief minister is working for tea workers, it seems these trade unions will soon be reduced to just signboards in the north Bengal tea belt."