ATTSA stages protest in Assam's Kaliabor, demands land rights, higher wages for tea workers

The Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA) staged a protest outside the office of the Kaliabor Co-District Commissioner on Thursday, November 12 raising demands related to land rights, wages and Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the tea community.

The Kaliabor unit of ATTSA organised a three-hour sit-in demonstration, during which protesters raised slogans against the government and criticised the role of tea community representatives Rupjyoti Kurmi, Pallab Lochan Das, Rameswar Teli, Sanjay Kishan and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa.

The protesters demanded the distribution of land pattas to members of the tea community, an increase in the wages of tea garden workers and the grant of ST status to the community.

Following the demonstration, the organisation submitted a memorandum addressed to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma through the Kaliabor Co-District Commissioner, formally placing its demands before the state government.

The protest was part of ATTSA's efforts to press the government on long-standing demands concerning the rights and welfare of the tea community.