GUWAHATI, Nov 12: The Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA) on Thursday staged three-hour sit-in protests across Assam, demanding land pattas, Scheduled Tribe status and higher daily wages for tea garden workers.
Hundreds of protesters demonstrated in several districts, raising slogans and holding placards seeking fulfilment of their demands. Similar protests were held in Rangapara, Doomdooma and other tea garden areas.
In Biswanath, ATTSA members staged a protest outside the Biswanath Revenue Circle Office ahead of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s scheduled visit to the district on November 13.
Protesters alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sarma had assured the community that its long-pending demands would be addressed, but said the promises remained unfulfilled.
“Before the election, the BJP government promised tea workers land pattas. We believed them, but even after all these years, our long-pending demands remain unfulfilled,” a protester said.
In Sadiya, the Talap branch committee of ATTSA staged a similar protest outside the Sadiya Sub-Divisional Commissioner’s office. Ramen Das, a central executive member of ATTSA in Sadiya, said the community had waited for years for action on wages, land rights and ST status.
“We urge the government to meet our demands at the earliest, or else we will be compelled to take our agitation beyond Assam, to Dispur and Delhi,” Das said.
ATTSA leaders said they would intensify the agitation if the demands were not addressed at the earliest. The protests came five days after the organisation held demonstrations in several parts of Assam on November 7 over the same demands.
