First flush plucking boycott hits tea gardens in hills, tea workers plan dharna at Darjeeling Chowrasta

EOI, DARJEELING, FEBRUARY 27, 2024 : The Darjeeling Dooars Chia Shramik Suraksha Samiti (DDCSSS), formed recently for the welfare and protection of the tea garden workers, has decided to hold a two-day-long dharna at Chowrasta in Darjeeling town from Saturday to protest against the decision of the West Bengal government to allot 30 percent of tea land to industrialists for non-tea production activities. DDCSSS president Bandana Rai said on Thursday: “We will not allow 30 percent of the tea garden lands to be given to anyone as these are all indigenous land.”

The other issues taken up by the DDCSSS are the rejection of the decision of the West Bengal Government to give parya patta (land rights) of only five decimal land to tea garden workers, demand for 20 percent puja bonus for tea garden workers, and the implementation of minimum wages in tea gardens. “We are trying to resolve some issues through judicial intervention. We are also holding such a programme. We also plan to hold programmes in rural areas to make people aware of these issues,” she said.

Rai said that they had decided to stage the dharna even though they were yet to get permission to hold the event at Chowrasta after repeated appeals to the Darjeeling Municipality. “Even if a lathi charge is done against us or we are arrested, we will hold our programme. We will hold the dharna from Saturday morning onwards till Sunday. We will not disturb anyone,” Rai said and requested the tea garden workers to participate in the dharna. Officials of the Darjeeling Municipality, when reached for their stand, refused to comment.

Meanwhile, the programme of the Joint Forum (JF) of tea garden workers boycotting the plucking of first flush tea leaves from February 27 against the decision of the State Government hit many tea gardens in the hills. The JF had other demands which they placed with West Bengal Labour Minister Maloy Ghatak on Wednesday in Kolkata.

Speaking about the other demands, JF spokesperson Sunil Rai said: “The workers have only received 16 percent puja bonus for the year 2023-2024 even after an agitation. The State Government had said that a discussion would be held for the rest of the four percent bonus, but that has failed to take place. We want the remaining bonus to be given immediately.”

The other demands raised by the JF are similar to those raised by the DDCSSS. “The Minister has given us assurances that they will hold a dialogue soon on these issues, but we have given them 15 days' time and the tea garden management. If no meeting is called or any decision is made within that time, we will start an agitation. We have also submitted memorandums to the tea garden regarding it,” he said.