Tea wing shut after attack - Manager assaulted at garden, work suspended

A demonstration outside the estate. (Passang Yolmo)

TT, Siliguri, March 29: A tea estate in Naxalbari today announced suspension of work in the main division a day after some managerial staff members were allegedly assaulted by a section of workers.

Work continued as usual in the two other divisions of the Tirrihannah Tea Estate. A division in a tea estate is an area of plantation located at a distance from the principal infrastructure of the garden, the factory and offices.

Manager Amlan Kusum Garai, an assistant manager and some other employees were confined by the labourers and their families for over three hours yesterday and attacked after the management removed a Trinamul union leader over complaints of indiscipline.

A notice announcing the suspension of work was issued this morning.

Biswanath Ghosh, the factory manager of the garden, filed a police complaint today naming Rramesh Bishwakarma, a leader of the Trinamul-backed Darjeeling Zilla Tea Employees' and Workers' Union who had allegedly led the attack yesterday.

Sources said there were complaints against Bishwakarma earlier too when he had led protests against the management in December last year, prompting the authorities to close down the garden.

The garden reopened on February 7.

"Yesterday, the management decided to dismiss Bishwakarma. This led to tension and the manager and some staff members were assaulted," a source said.

Arup Ratan Ghosh, the Darjeeling district president of INTTUC, denied the charges against Bishwakarma.

"When the management decided to reopen the garden in February, it was decided that no steps would be taken against any worker. Our supporters had gone to the manager's office to resolve the issue amicably. But some miscreants created problems," Ghosh said.