Push for hill tea garden land rights

VIVEK CHHETRI, TT, 14 Oct 2018, Darjeeling: A land rights committee formed by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has demanded that nearly 35 per cent of the plots under tea plantations in the hills should be reclaimed and distributed among the estate workers, a move that could churn political equations in the region ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

The demand for land rights is an important issue in the hills and though the committee has been working for sometime, a definite assertion of the demand is seen as an attempt to galvanise public support in favour of the Binay Tamang faction of the Morcha at a time the BJP is pressing for inclusion of 11 hill commu- nities to the list of scheduled tribe.

"The land rights issue would definitely outweigh the BJP's tribal card as the majority of hill people reside in tea gardens and though they have been living there for years, they don't have land rights," said an observer of hill politics.

In the hills, tea garden land is leased out to the owners of the gardens, who, in turn, had allowed the workers to live there.

As the demand pertains to the state government -- which has already set a precedent by granting land rights to residents of Mirik municipality after resuming in from Thurbo tea garden -- the chances of it being met ahead of the Lok STIRRED sabha elections are much higher. The issue of inclusion of 11 communities to the ST list, however, is comparatively a longer process as it has to be routed through the Parliament.

Many believe that the single move of granting land rights was instrumental in helping Trinamul win the Mirik municipality in elections last year.

An observer from the hills said: "If the state government yields to this demand, the GJM could sweep all elections in the hills." Jyoti Kumar Rai, chief convener, Praja Patta Co-ordination Committee and a central committee leader of Morcha, said nearly 35 per cent of the land in tea gardens is with the workers. "During our survey we have found out that in the 105 tea gardens within Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) area, 1,03,422.32 acres of land is under the tea management," said Rai.

Of this figure, Rai claimed that 24,1919.19 acres of land were "unused" land, where labourer quarters and community assets' have been set up.

"The workers are also in possession of 11,042 acres of land, which they are cultivating, even though they have no land rights," said Rai.

The committee placed its findings before Binay Tamang, chairperson, GTA, on Friday to pursue the issue with the state. The figures, however, could not be officially verified immediately.

The committee has demanded that the "unused land and that under workers possession", which comes to 35,233.19 acres should be given to the workers.

"We want the government to resume this land and give land rights to the workers," said Rai.

The committee said that tea bushes had been planted in 46,233.33 acres across GTA area.

"The cinchona plantations has also been set up across 25,280.71 acres spread across Mungpoo, Mungsong, Rongo, Latpanchar, Ambootia and Marma areas in GTA," said Rai.

The committee has raised similar demands directorate of for workers in estates of cinchona and other medicinal plants."The ramifications of this demand would also be felt in Dooars and Terai, which are predominantly, tea growing areas and so it will have a huge implications for north Bengal politics," said a source.