Tea workers go on poster campaigning against 30% land to non-tea activities

EOI,  DARJEELING, FEBRUARY 25, 2025 :  Voices of dissent continue to grow in the hills over the decision of the West Bengal government to grant 30 percent of tea garden land to industrialists for non-tea production activities.

The Gorkhaland Activist Samuha (GAS), championing the statehood demand, put up posters in Darjeeling town in protest. The Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front (IGJF) tore the Gazette notification issued by the West Bengal government. The Joint Forum, on the other hand, has given a call to workers to not pluck the first flush tea on the first day of harvesting, which starts on February 27.

"We are making demands to the state government through these posters. The state government, in 2019, had decided to give 15 percent of tea garden land to be used for tourism purposes, but now, after six years, they have doubled it. It is being proven that the state government wants to give five decimals of land to the tea garden workers and the rest to industrialists," GAS founder member Kishore Pradhan said.

Pradhan urged all political parties of the hills to unite and create pressure on the government.

“We are asking the government to recall their decision. We feel that the state government intends to make us refugees in our own land. I appeal to all the political parties in the hills to raise their voice so that the government reverts its decision. However, we have to be careful as there is no guarantee. This is the reason we have been demanding a separate state as a solution," he said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Gorkha Janashakti Front (IGSF) chief convenor, Ajoy Edwards, tore the copy of the Gazette Notification in the party office as a mark of protest.

"There are six Sabashads in the GTA of the IGSF, and as representatives of the people, we will write to the district magistrate and the GTA Chief Principal Secretary. If we do not get any positive response, then we will go on agitation. We cannot keep quiet about the suppression of the state government," he said.

The IGJF convenor said those at the helm of the GTA should get the council body scrapped as it had become redundant and helpless.

"The GTA higher-ups say they have communicated with the West Bengal government, yet the notification has been issued. We feel those running the council body should demand scrapping the GTA instead. We will protest if the State Government goes ahead with its decision. We are willing to get arrested and even give our lives for the safety and security of our people's land," Edwards said.

On the other hand, JF spokesperson Sunil Rai said, "Workers will not pluck the first flush tea leaves. They will report for duty on the first day to submit a memorandum of demands to the garden management."

Plucking for the first flush is scheduled to start from February 27 and will last till April in the hills.

"We will wait for 15 to 20 days for the government to act on our demands, failing which we will intensify our agitation. We can even continue to boycott plucking of the first flush tea leaves. If the government and the management remain indifferent to the workers' demands, then let the first flush rot or get damaged," Rai said.

The first flush is the most sought-after produce of the tea gardens here, fetching premium prices in the international market.

Most political parties of the hills, including the ruling Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha and BJP MP Raju Bista, have spoken against this decision of the state government.