The Tea Tribes Adivasi Autonomous Council Demand Committee, Assam on Tuesday raised voice for a separate autonomous council for the community.
Addressing a press conference at the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS) central office in Dibrugarh, Israil Nanda, the convenor of the committee said, “We demand a separate autonomous council for our community as we have been living for decades in Assam and played an important role in the economic upliftment of the state.”
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“We welcomed the government’s decision to provide autonomous council to three indigenous communities of Assam,” he said.
According to the National Register of Citizens (NRC), there are a total of 1.36 crore tea tribe Adivasi people have been living in Assam.
However, the community has been exploited for decades.
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The East India Company brought the Adivasi people from other states of India for the cultivation of tea and since then they are living in Assam.
Nabin Chandra Keot, ACMS central vice president and convenor of the committee said they want an autonomous council for their community as in many areas, the community continue to be deprived of their rights.
“Our have been demanding hike in wages of tea workers to Rs 351 but despite several pleas, the government has not increased the wages of the labourers. The BJP government is not sincere to increase the wages of workers,” said Keot.
“Before the election, they assured me of increasing the wages of workers but till date, nothing has been done,” Keot added.
ACMS general secretary Rupesh Gowala criticised the BJP government for doing nothing for the poor garden workers.
“The BJP has been using the people for vote bank before the election by announcing schemes but in reality, they are doing nothing for the upliftment of the community,” said Gowala.
He added, “The education infrastructure in tea gardens areas is poor but the government is doing nothing for the devilment of education in the tea belt area.”