Tripura seeks Arunachal intervention to rescue 30 trafficked child labourers from tea gardens

The Tripura government has sought urgent intervention from Arunachal Pradesh for the rescue and safe repatriation of around 30 child labourers allegedly trafficked from tea garden areas of Unakoti district to the neighbouring state.

Tripura Labour Minister Tinku Roy on Tuesday wrote to Arunachal Pradesh Minister for Labour and Employment Nyato Dukam, urging immediate action in view of the serious allegations of child trafficking and exploitation. In his letter, Roy underscored that engaging children as labour is strictly prohibited under law and amounts to a grave violation of human rights and dignity.

The minister informed that a case has been registered at Kailashahar Police Station in Unakoti district after reports emerged that nearly 30 minors, along with a few adults, were taken from Rangrung Tea Garden and another tea estate in the Kalishasan area of Kailashahar to Arunachal Pradesh. According to the complaint, the labourers were lured with promises of monthly wages and other benefits but were later denied their lawful entitlements.

Family members have alleged that the children and youths are being subjected to ill-treatment and forced to live in inhuman conditions, causing severe mental distress. “The families are in deep anguish and are desperately seeking the safe and early return of their near and dear ones,” Roy said, stressing the humanitarian gravity of the situation.

The Tripura Labour Minister appealed to the Arunachal Pradesh government to extend all necessary assistance for the immediate rescue of the labourers and their safe return to Tripura, while also ensuring the protection of their rights and well-being.

Meanwhile, relatives of the victims on Tuesday lodged an FIR at Kailashahar Police Station, demanding strict action against those involved. According to the families, the incident dates back to December 9, 2025, when several youths and minors from the Kalishasan and Rangrung tea plantation areas under Rangrung Gram Panchayat went missing while their family members were away at work.

Relatives including Binita Sabar, Lilavati Sabar, Lakshmi Bauri and Durgamani Bauri said they discovered the disappearance after returning home in the afternoon. On contacting the youths over phone, they were told that they had been taken to other states with assurances of earning between Rs 12,000 and Rs 14,000 per month and had been given an advance of Rs 2,000 before leaving.

Although they left on December 9, the victims reportedly reached their destination late on December 12. They later informed their families that they were being held in remote forest areas of Meghalaya or Arunachal Pradesh and were being forced to work in orange-picking plantations under harsh and degrading conditions.

According to the families, the victims alleged they were denied adequate food, forced to stay in makeshift polythene shelters during winter and provided with no basic facilities for hygiene. They also claimed they were beaten if oranges fell to the ground during work and were living in constant fear, unable to speak freely on the phone as their movements and conversations were closely monitored.

Officer-in-Charge of Kailashahar Police Station Tapas Roy said a case has been registered against two persons, identified as Budhuram Urang and Om Prakash Upadhyay, a local resident, for allegedly handing over the youths and minors to an employer from outside the state. “We are conducting a detailed investigation and are trying to establish contact with the victims,” he said.

The list of missing persons from the Kalishasan tea garden area includes Budhuram Goala, Manik Bauri, Sanjay Bakti, Sajen Bauri, Sanjay Bauri, Ajit Roy, Biswajit Bhumij, Vishnu Urang, Babul Bauri and Kishan Sabar. From the Rangrung tea garden area, those reported missing include Krishna Sabar, Nayan Sabar, Ravi Sabar, Sainik Sabar, Shukra Sabar, Tarjen Sabar, Sunil Sabar, Raju Sabar, Dhanu Sabar, Ruman Urang, Sanjit Urang, Sujit Urang, Sunia Urang and Rathu Urang.

Authorities said inter-state coordination is underway as investigations continue into the alleged trafficking and exploitation of the labourers.