Tea tribe workers rally across Assam demanding ST status, wage hike, and land rights

A massive protest rocked Dibrugarh on October 13 as thousands from Assam’s tea tribe and Adivasi communities took to the streets demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, a daily wage hike, and legal land ownership.

Protesters from across the district converged at the Chowkidinghee intersection after marching from four major points, causing heavy traffic congestion throughout the day. Anticipating disruptions, several schools declared a holiday, officials confirmed.

The rally paralysed operations across 218 tea estates, 24,000 small growers’ plantations, and 70 bought-leaf factories as workers joined the demonstration. The protest was jointly organised by the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA), All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA), 36 Janajati Parishad, and Chah Jonogustiyo Jatiya Mahasabha.

Addressing the gathering, ATTSA president Dhiraj Gowala said, “Despite being one of the largest communities in the state, we remain the most deprived. The BJP has used our support to win elections, yet it fails to deliver justice.” He questioned why land could be allotted for party offices and private projects inside tea estates while “landless tea workers are denied legal rights.”

ACMS Dibrugarh secretary Nabin Chandra Keot alleged that even after 78 years of Independence, tea tribes and Adivasis continue to live in poverty. He described the three core demands — ST status, a minimum daily wage of Rs 551, and land rights — as “non-negotiable,” warning that failure to meet them before the 2026 Assembly elections “could cost the government dearly.”

Former Union minister and five-time Congress MP Paban Singh Ghatowar also extended his support, urging the state government to act immediately.

Organisers announced that similar protests will soon be held in every district of Assam to intensify pressure on the government.

Demands for ST status have been pending for years from several communities, including the Moran, Motok, Chutia, Tai-Ahom, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea Tribes. Despite repeated assurances from senior BJP leaders, the issue remains unresolved.

The Dibrugarh protest follows a similar rally in Tinsukia on October 8, where thousands of tea tribe workers gathered with the same demands. Earlier, on September 28, members of the Motok community held a torchlight march in Sadiya, calling for ST status and the upgrade of their autonomous council. (With inputs from PTI)