Agartala: July 01: CITU (Centre of Indian Trade Unions) and TTWU (Tripura Tea Workers’ Union) jointly organized a protest march in Agartala city on Monday morning, despite the ongoing natural disaster. The demonstrators raised serious allegations, accusing tea gardens of facing illegal destruction and land encroachment, allegedly with direct support from the government.
Key leaders, including CITU state president Manik De and general secretary Shankar Prasad Dutta, participated in the protest. Manik De highlighted the historical significance of tea gardens, which were established during the British era. While some private tea gardens were individually owned during the Left Front government, tea remains a vital industry in the state, providing substantial employment opportunities.
However, concerns have arisen as vacant land within tea gardens is reportedly being converted into rubber plantations. During the Left Front government, certain leaders protested against this trend. Unfortunately, the situation has worsened, with various laws now facilitating encroachment on tea garden land.
One disturbing practice involves a minister attempting to transfer tea garden land through official channels. When the garden owners resist, bulldozers are allegedly deployed at night to destroy the land. This harmful activity adversely affects tea garden workers across different locations. For instance, in Mohanpur, the government has encroached upon significant portions of tea garden land in the name of Naboday School. Additionally, soil is being forcibly extracted from the Thalachhara tea garden.
The cumulative effect of these illegal activities threatens the existence of tea gardens. Despite raising concerns and making demands, the government has yet to take meaningful action. Today’s protest aims to draw attention to the issue, demanding the restoration of garden land and rectification of the damage caused. Advocates also call for strict accountability for those responsible for this destruction.
