Naxalbari, 13th February: On Thursday, the Darjeeling District Tea Kaman Workers Union organized a demonstration as part of the tea workers’ protests across the region. The protest was triggered after the Bengal Chief Minister’s announcement to transfer tea garden land to industrialists.
Reportedly, a protest rally was held starting from the Naxalbari’s Panighata More and to the bus stand. Workers burned government gazettes in protest that stemmed from a recent announcement made by CM Mamata Banerjee at the Bengal Business Summit in Kolkata. At the summit, she declared that 30% of the land in tea gardens could now be used commercially by businesses.
Tea workers have expressed their outrage over this decision, fearing that it will demolish the tea industry and lead to widespread unemployment. The union has called for an immediate impediment to the decision.
General Secretary of the Tea Kaman Workers Union, Gautam Ghosh, stated that this move would ruin the tea industry and leave several workers unemployed. He cautioned that further protests, including campaigns at Uttar Kanya and Nabanna, will be organized if the decision is not withdrawn.