चिया कमानको मजदुरको जीवनको मोल कति?

9:57 PM

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social

सम्पूर्ण चिया कमानहरुमा काम बन्द गर अनि श्रमिकहरुलाई बन्द अवधीको वेतन देऊ!

DTA अनि CCPA को दार्जीलिङ पहाड़को चियाकमानहरुमा काम संचालित रा‌ख्ने कोशिशको घोर निन्दा गरौं!

विश्वलाई त्रासित बनाएको कोरोना भाइरसको महामारी विरुद्ध हर एक देश अनि संस्थाहरु एकबद्ध भएर सक्रिय रुपमा काम गरिरहेका छन्। हाम्रो देशमा पनि यो भाइरसको विस्तारलाई रोक्नको निम्ति सरकारले कतिपय मापदण्ड या नियमहरु तय गरेका छन्। सरकारले जनाएका धेरैवटा सावधानीहरु मध्ये 'शारीरिक दूरी' प्रमुख हुन्। यस विषयलाई प्राथमिकता दिदै सरकारले २१ दिनको 'भारत लॉकडाउन' को घोषणा पनि गरेका छन्। यस निर्णयलाई देश भरिका राज्यहरुले अनिवार्यतापुर्वक पालन गर्ने सहमति जनाएका छन्। COVID-19 को रुपमा प्रकट भएको विश्वरुपी महामारीलाई ठप्प गर्न हरेक व्यक्ति अनि सरकारको जिम्मेवारी बन्न पुगेको छ।

हालैमा कालेबुंग निवासी कोरोना भाइरस पिडित महिलाको मृत्युको घटनाले हाम्रो पहाड़ पनि भाइरसको चपेटमा आइसकेको कुरा प्रष्ट हुन्छ। उनको मृत्यु North Bengal Medical College, Siliguri मा भर्ना भएको एक दुइ दिन भित्रमा २८ मार्च २०२० को दिन भयो। पहाड़मा घटित यो प्रथम मृत्युले सबैलाई सोचनीय स्थितिमा पुर्याएको छ र सरकारी स्वास्थ चिकित्सा व्यवस्था प्रति धेरै प्रश्नहरू उठ्न स्वाभाविक नै हो। के सरकारले यस्तो संकटको परिस्थिति सामना गर्न आवश्यक तयारी गरेका छन् त ? के हाम्रा क्षेत्रका अस्पतालहरु आवश्यक चिकित्सा सुविधाहरू बारे सुचित थियो त ? सामाजिक संजालमा अडियो विडियो मार्फत कोरोना संक्रमित लक्षण हुने व्यक्तिहरुले उचित ढंगमा उपचार नपाएको गुनासो गरिएको खुलासाले हाम्रो सरकारी चिकित्सा प्रावधान कति जिर्ण अवस्थामा छ भन्ने कुराको पुष्टी गर्दछ। यस घटनालाई लिएर अस्पतालको अवस्था मात्र नभएर डाक्टर र चिकित्सा कर्मचारीहरु माथि प्रश्न उठी रहेको छ। तर वास्तवमा कुरा बुझ्नु हो भने यी प्रश्नहरुको उत्तर दिने दायित्व सरकारको हो। उपचार गर्ने डाक्टर अनि चिकित्सा कर्मचारीहरुले पनि सरकारद्वारा पाउनु पर्ने आवश्यक 'Personal Protective Equipments (PPE)' पाएका छैनन्। उनीहरु त आफ्नो दायित्वलाई पुरा गर्न ज्यानलाई जोखिममा हाल्दै भए पनि सक्रियतापुर्वक अघि बढिरहेका छन्।

Darjeeling Tea Workers

अर्को आश्चर्यजनक कुरो के छ भने, यस्तो महामारीको समयमा पनि दार्जीलिंग टी एसोशियेसन (DTA) अनि कन्सल्टेटिव कमिटि अफ प्लानटेसन एसोशियेसन (CCPA) ले चिया बगानहरुलाई पुर्ण रुपमा संचालन गर्ने मांग बंगाल सरकार सामु राखेको छ। विश्वभरिनै लॉकडाउनलाई गम्भिरतापूर्वक पालन गरिरहेको बेला हाम्रो चिया बगान कर्मचारीहरु भने आज पनि बाध्य भएर बगान धाइरहेका छन्। बंगाल सरकारले पनि यस मांग माथि विचार गर्ने कुरा स्टेट्सम्यान खबरकागजबाट बुझ्नमा आईदैछ। चिया बगान कर्मचारीहरुको हीत अनि सुरक्षा को जिम्मा DTA अनि CCPA जस्तो संस्थाहरुले लिनु पर्ने बेलामा, अझ कर्मचारीहरुलाई खाड़लमा हाल्ने मेलो गरिदैछ। DTA अनि CCPA का सदस्यहरु लगायत चिया बगानका मालिकहरुले दर्शाएको यस्तो असंवेदनशील निर्णयलाई हामी घोर भर्त्सना गर्छौ। के उनीहरु साँचै कोरोना भाइरसको प्रभावबारे अज्ञात छन्? या उनीहरुलाई लाग्छ, पुस्ता पुस्ता देखि घाउ, चोट अनि दु:ख खप्नु सक्ने कर्मचारीहरुले यो कोरोना भाइरसलाई पनि आरामले पचाईदिने छ। के चिया बगान कम्पनीले उगाउने भव्य नाफाको सामु चिया बगान कर्मचारीहरुको जीवनको मूल्य यति तुच्छ छ ?

पुरा पश्चिम बंगालमा लॉकडाउनको आदेश दिने सरकारले, कसरी चिया बगानका कर्मचारीहरुसंग पक्षपात गर्न सक्छ? चिया बगान र कारखानासंग जुडिएको प्रत्येक काम नै संगठित ढंगमा गर्नु पर्ने हुन्छ, यसैले 'शारीरिक दूरी' पालन गर्न असम्भव छ। चिया बगान खोलिनु नै यहाँ काम गर्ने कर्मचारीहरुको ज्यानलाई खतरामा पार्नु हो अनि उनीहरुको वर्तमान अनि भविष्यलाई जोखिममा हाल्नु हो। कथांकल दुर्भाग्यवस भोलीको दिनमा केहि क्षति पुग्न गए, के बंगाल सरकार, DTA अनि CCPA ले सम्पूर्ण चिया बगान कर्मचारीहरुको अनि उनीहरुको भावी पिडाको जिम्मेवारी लिने छन् त? त्यस बखत शायदै DTA अनि CCPA ले निर्धारित गरेको चिया बगान केन्द्रित 'Strict Safety and hygiene guidelines' प्रभावशालि हुने छन्।

विशेषगरि, DTA अनि CCPA को मांगबारे स्थानीय प्रसाशन (GTA) अनि अरु राजनैतिक दलहरुको परिप्रेक्ष्य बारे केहि प्रश्न गर्न चाहन्छौ। प्रथम, DTA र CCPA ले गरेको मांग अनि कर्मचारीहरुको सुरक्षाबारे विवाद हुँदा, GTA का प्रतिनिधि, दार्जीलिंग जिल्लाको MP अनि MLA हरुको के-कस्ता प्रतिक्रियाहरू आएका छन् ? दोश्रो, यस्तो विवाधित क्षणमा पहाड़को स्थानीय राजनैतिक दलहरु साँचै नै श्रमिकवर्गको जीवन र सुरक्षाको अधिकारको पक्षमा छ भने, किन DTA र CCPA को निर्णयको विरुद्ध किन निमुखा दर्शक बनिरहेको छन् त ? यदि आफ्नो राजनैतिक सहायकहरुलाई खुशी पार्न मात्रै राजनीति गर्न हो भने, आफ्नो कुम्लो कटेरो बाँधे हुन्छ। तेश्रो, एकातिर हाम्रो राजनैतिक प्रतिनिधिहरु मुख्यत: सांसद क्षेत्रको भावी योजनाहरूबारे ट्वीट गर्नमै व्यस्त देखिन्छ भने अर्कोतिर DTA र CCPA को हालैको निर्णयलाई लिएर आफ्नो मन्तव्य राख्नबाट टाढ़िएको सर्वविदित नै छ। उता पहाड़का तिन विधायकहरुले पनि DTA र CCPA को अमानविय निर्णय, जसले हजारौ श्रमिकहरुको ज्यानलाई जोखिममा पारेको छ, त्यस विरुद्ध चुँ सम्म पनि गरेका छैनन्। राज्य सरकार, विधायकहरु र सांसद, मालिक पक्षले खुल्लम-खुल्ला श्रमिक बर्गको जीवन र सुरक्षाको अधिकारको हनन् गरेको देख्दा देख्दै पनि सबै किन‌ मौन छन् ? उनीहरुको मौनताले हामीलाई यो प्रश्न तेर्साउनुमा मजबूर गर्छ कि, के सरकार, विधायकहरु र सांसद, उही मुट्ठीभर मालिक पक्षले मात्र बनाएको हो ? हाम्रो प्रतिनिधिहरु यस्ता विपतको क्षणमा पनि DTA र CCPA को कमानलाई संचालित राख्ने अमानवीय र निन्दनीय कोशिशको विरुद्धमा एक शब्द पनि किन बोल्नु सकिरहेको छैन त ?

यसै संदर्भमा हाम्रो छिमेकी राज्य आसम सरकारले २१ मार्च २०२० को दिन नोटिफिकेसन नो: L.E.16/2018/4035-98 मार्फत चिया बगानहरुलाई पूर्णरुपमा लॉकडाउन गर्ने आदेश दिएका थिए। यस नोटिफिकेसन अनुसार चिया बगानको लॉकडाउन साथसाथै कर्मचारीहरुले पाउने हाजिरा, उनीहरुको रोजगार अनि अधिकारहरु माथि ठप्प नलागिने निर्णय लिएका थिए। तर हालैमा चिया कमानको मालिक वर्गहरुको प्रेसरमा आएर आसम सरकारले आफ्नै निर्णय फिर्ता लिने भएका छन। र यस्तो स्थितिमा हाम्रो पनि क्षेत्रको जन प्रतिनिधिहरुको साथै राजनैतिक दलहरुको मौनता, DTA र CCPA को निवेदन, बंगाल सरकारको मनोवृत्ति हेर्दा मालिकवर्ग संग केन्द्र र राज्य सरकार दुवै मिलेर मजदुरहरुको जीवन संग खेलवाड गर्दैछन् भन्ने कुरा बोध हुन्छ। के चिया बगानहरु पृथ्वीमा नभएर अर्कै ग्रहमा छन् जहाँ कोरोनाको खतरा छैन ? के चिया बगानको मजदुरहरु 'Right to life and safety' देखि वञ्चित छन्? बंगाल सरकारले DTA अनि CCPA को मांगलाई स्वीकार गर्नु नै मजदुरहरुको विरुद्ध उभिनु हो। यस्तो अमानवीय सोंचको हामी कडा शब्दमा खण्डन गर्छौ।
जब सम्पूर्ण विश्वनै एकबद्ध भइ यो महामारीको विरुद्ध संघर्ष गर्न कम्मर कसी रहेको छ भने यहाँ दार्जीलिंगमा चाहिं केहि तुच्छ विचार भएका चिया कमानका मालिकहरु र उनीहरुका चम्चाहरुले DTA र CCPA को संकीर्ण स्वार्थ पूर्ति हेतु कमानको काम बन्द हुन नदिने निर्णय लिएको छ। विधित नै छ कि चिया कमानमा काम गर्ने मजदूरहरु अधिकांश नै गोर्खा अनि आदिवासी समुदायकाहरु छन्। त्यसैले मालिक पक्षको कमानलाई सुचारु राख्ने निवेदनले उनीहरुको क्रुर परजीवी मानसिकतालाई अभिव्यक्त गर्दछ। DTA अनि CCPA ले मजदूरहरुलाई कामबाट केहि दिन विश्राम, राशन पानी, अग्रिम बेतन आदि सुविधाहरु प्रदान गर्नको सट्टा कमानको काम चालु राख्ने निवेदन टक्राई आफ्नो शोषक परजीवी प्रवृतिको झलक स्पष्ट देखाएको छ। हामी मालिक पक्षको यो अमानवीय निर्णयको कडा शब्दमा भत्सर्ना गर्दछौ अनि यो संकटको समयमा मजदुरवर्ग संग काँधमा काँध मिलाई उनीहरुको अधिकारको निम्ति आवाज उठाउन कटिबद्ध छौ।

यसर्थ सरकार समक्ष हामी यो मांग राख्दछौ कि भारत लॉकडाउनको अवधि चियाकमानहरु सम्पूर्ण रुपमा बन्द राखियोस अनि चिया श्रमिकहरुलाई अग्रिम वेतन, राशन पानी, स्वास्थ्य सेवा र अन्य सहुलियतहरु समयमा प्रदान गरियोस्!

सरकारी स्वास्थ्य व्यवस्थाको हालत बुझी सकेको छौं, हामी आफै सचेत र सावधान भएर घर भित्र नै बसौं, शारीरिक दुरी पालन गरेर कोरोनाको प्रकोपबाट बाचौं र अरुलाई पनि बचाउँ!   
      
गोर्खा स्टूडेंट्स, जे.ऐन.यू               ०२.०४.२०२०

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Condemn the attempt by D.T.A & C.C.P.A to operate the Tea plantations in Darjeeling

6:00 PM

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West Bengal

Shut Down Plantations and Pay Wages to the Workers.

Darjeeling Tea Association and Consultative Committee of Plantation Association has turned deplorable and inhuman by shamelessly requesting the West Bengal State Government to allow the complete operation of Tea Plantations in Darjeeling as reported in the Statesman on 27th March 2020.

How indifferent, insensitive and self- centered can the Plantation Owners/ Company Heads get under this dire threat to the entire human species? Are the members of the D.T.A. and the C.C.P.A – “uneducated”, “illiterate” and so “ignoble” (often phrased as reasons for avoiding quarantines) that they do not understand the seriousness of the pandemic at hand? Then how’s it possible they have a stomach to appeal in such a mean spirited and draconian move to make tea labourers work under present circumstances. Is the common consensus within the D.T.A. and C.C.P.A an absolutely unscientific and superstitious hope and belief that tea workers of Darjeeling would exclusively remain immune to the novel Coronavirus? Or are they of the opinion that the life of our fellow brothers and sisters is so cheap that they can be readily disposed for the sake of a few crores petty profit? Isn’t this move of the D.T.A. and C.C.P.A consolidating the belief that tea plantation workers are merely slaves?

Therefore, in complete solidarity with the workers and their vulnerabilities during this time, we condemn this inhuman, insensitive and draconian move by the D.T.A & C.C.P.A for appealing the State Government to operate the plantations in Darjeeling.
We are confounded to observe that the State Government actually appears willing to deliberate on this request and may even consider it. In a situation where this very government has ordered a complete lockdown throughout the state, how can it even think of taking a contradictory position on the fate of thousands of workers and their dependent families? Especially, when working in the fields and factories entails gathering and socialising in a way that cannot be substantially avoided (which the workers are very much aware of) regardless of the D.T.A & C.C.P.A proposed precautionary measures such as “strict safety and hygiene guidelines”. However, under the same circumstances, in the neighbouring state of Assam, their state government has ordered a complete lockdown of the tea industry vide notification no. L.E. 16/ 2018/ 4035-98 dated Guwahati, 21st March 2020. The plantation owners there have complied to not only shut down the industry but also to cooperate with the government order that states categorically- “not to terminate employment or reduce wages” of any worker whether permanent or contractual and to consider them to be on paid leave. When such a socially relevant decision can be taken by Assam what bothers and stops the West Bengal Government to toe a similar line? What’s so special about Darjeeling that its workers don’t deserve a right to life and safety? It would be utterly draconian if the state government grants the requests of the D.T.A. & C.C.P.A. and we stand firmly against any such move by the government to endanger the workers’ lives.

Moreover, it is imperative now to ask few extremely crucial questions to all administrative and political bodies immediately concerned with the region regarding their positions on the latest move by the D.T.A& C.C.P.A. First, what is the local administration i.e. the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration(G.T.A.) and political representatives like the M.P & M.L.A(s)of Darjeeling going to do to reconcile this division of interests between the Plantation Owners (DTA & CCPA) and that of the workers? Second, what are the positions being opted, perhaps now, if they are truly concerned, by all the local parties proliferating on the soil of the hills? If they cannot be nonchalant to this move by the D.T.A& C.C.P.A to bereave workers from their right to life and security, our best suggestion to all parties is to shut down their clientele based politics and disband their organisations.

Third, our political representatives, especially the M.P. has so far been busy tweeting future plans for the region while the present move by the D.T.A & C.C.P.A is left conspicuously unaddressed by him. Then, what is RajuBista (M.P. Darjeeling) doing at the moment to tackle this new found situation? Whereas, the three MLA’s from Darjeeling hills, who are nowhere to be heard right now, what are they doing about D.T.A & C.C.P.A’s inhuman move to push the workers to risk and endangerment? Shall the State Government, the M.L.As, the M.Pas well as the G.T.A remain a mere onlooker without a voice during such an attack by the plantation owners on the right to life and security of the workers?All of their silences would make any one ask whether the Government, the MLA(s) and the M.P of the region were rather elected by a minority i.e. the handful of lobbying planters. It raises doubt as to who these political representatives from the region are really accountable to? Why haven’t they been able to utter a single word against such an inhuman and deplorable attempt by the D.T.A& C.C.P.A to open and operate tea plantations?

While the whole world is gearing towards international solidarity to fight a global pandemic as it has become impossible for any country to fight it alone. Darjeeling’s manypetty minded planters/ owners are lobbying through D.T.A & C.C.P.A for their parochial interests. To the extent of risking a major section of the Gorkha- Adivasi population who are prominently tea plantation labourers. Their deplorable and inhuman appeal is nothing else but the manifestation of their crude and cruel vision to exploit the workers. Instead of the relieving the labourers fromwork, so they too may stay in house quarantines, by providing them wages in advance, ration and other basic amenities to protect themselves, the D.T.A& C.C.P.A has shown their true oppressive and exploitative character. We thoroughly condemn every word and intention of their attempt to operate Tea Plantations in Darjeeling and stand in complete solidarity with the Workers in such trying times. Hence we demand the State Government to rather ensure that the tea plantation owners' must pay the workers their full wages in advance during the entire lockdown period.

Only way to fight corona in Darjeeling- Shut down the Tea Plantations!

Gorkha Students, JNU                     
Date: 28/03/2020

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Darjeeling tea Workers on a hunger strike for a 20% annual festive bonus.

5:45 PM

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strike news

As you sip your favourite Darjeeling tea planning how to enjoy this festive season, tea garden workers in Darjeeling are on a hunger strike for a 20% annual festive bonus.

A 12 hour bandh has also been called in Darjeeling Hills tomorrow. Union leaders plan to hold hunger strikes 'in front of garden offices' from Thursday. Tamang, the Morcha leader, has announced 'an indefinite hunger strike' from October 6 if the bonus issue is not resolved by Friday.

Darjeeling tea Workers. 

The hills have not witnessed such a protest since the 104-day shutdown in September 2017

All seven trade unions of about 87 tea estates of Darjeeling in West Bengal have called for a 12-hour strike on Friday after the failure in talks between leaders of unions and the managements of gardens over the bonus issue. The unions have given a "bandh call" from 6 am to 6 pm on October 4, a trade union leader said. Trade Union Leaders and workers of Darjeeling Hill Tea Industry are observing hunger strike in demand of payment of 20% Bonus in Darjeeling town and tea gardens. Tomorrow will be 12 hours work off in Darjeeling hill.
Kalimpong to Join in the 12 Hour Bandh on October 4. Kalimpong has decided to join in the 12 hour bandh scheduled for October 4 in the Darjeeling Hills.

Bhuwan Khanal, Spokesperson, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha talking to media persons in Kalimpong on Thursday stated "Expressing solidarity with our garden workers Kalimpong district will also remain closed on October 4 for 12 hours. Business establishments will remain closed and vehicles will not ply. However emergency services have been kept out of the purview of the bandh."

Out of the 87 gardens in the Hills, 6 fall in the Kalimpong district. The bandh is in protest against the management failing to disburse bonus before the festive season. While the trade unions have demanded 20% bonus, the management is not willing to climb up from 15%. Multiple rounds of talks have failed to break the deadlock.

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Darjeeling MP Raju Bista elected as a member of the Tea Board

5:16 PM

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Tea Wage Movement

Darjeeling MP Raju Bista has been elected as one of the members of the Tea Board of India. When he was asked by a journalist about his further course of action after being elected, he responded as follows:

"As you are aware the Darjeeling Hills, Terai and Dooars along with neigbouring Assam produce some of the finest tea in the world, yet this industry is gradually dying.

Numerous gardens in our region have shut down, the tea garden workers and their families are suffering, and at the same time our tea industry is facing increasing competition internationally.

 My role will be to bring together all the stakeholders – workers, government, and industry representatives to develop a possible road map for the rights of the workers to be protected, rejuvenation of the tea industry in India, and create a healthy win-win situation for everyone.

I will be pushing for a comprehensive review of the Plantation Labours Act 1951, and implementation of the Minimum Wages Act. I am sure other members also share similar sentiments, so we will all work together to make this happen."

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MINIMUM WAGES –Tea Garden Workers and Vultures

8:51 PM

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Tea Wage Movement

Writes: Chandan Pariyar

It’s time for the Monsoon flush, fighting with the wind and the rain women are seen bent at their waist behind the tea bush, plucking the tea leaves and carefully tucking it inside the cane basket hung on their head.

Their sunburnt faces and the frostbitten hands may tell you hundreds of stories of betrayal and vaguely inferior complexities that keeps swaying in the forest and the tea gardens. Each one of them though in the group, instinctively try to listen to the voice echoing in the valley, but the good news of their wage hike seems to be lost within the mountains. At the end of the day, a disappointed murmur overwhelms them and the group members’ console each other and instinctively protect themselves from the shock and pain, of expectations not being met once again.

When the world get their pot full of Darjeeling tea in the morning, they praise the aroma and the exquisite flavour that lightens up their day, but don’t even give a thought to the diligent workers who work in the Sun and the rain alike making white, black, green or oolong tea, bumping in the hump of the garden, steadily collecting each new bud, and moving from one stunted shrub to the other. While many flock to the factories, managing the quality and protecting for future use, but the chemistry between the tea workers and the tea seems unmatched when Makaibari tea makes 1,10,000 rupees per kg in the foreign market, the workers receive in return of their gratitude a sum of rupees 132 per day.

Needless to say that the gardens thirst for their blood and the workers have no choice but to sacrifice their lives in the tea bushes.

No one is free in a TEA-Estate, how can one be free ????

When you can’t move out of the plantation, since four or five  generation your family is engaged in the gardens but still you don’t have any rights over your own land, you can’t get anything from the forest, the rivers are dammed, the quarries closed, how can one survive with such meagre income, when  there's nothing to supplement your income; and if you don’t work in the estates, you become homeless.

Where would they go??

Their son's shoulder is laden less with the responsibility of a family and more with rifles and the responsibility of protecting the nation, and back home there is serious worry about Displacement.

So the workers who produce the 'Champagne of teas ', had to be grown to imitate the three wise monkeys - speak not, see not, and hear not until the day, God turned his attention to the tea.

But Darjeeling has uncrowned kings here and there, who make unwanted noise to wake up people from those tea gardens – promising the heavens and their rightful wages and facilities. Their fates seem so uncertain, that the tea garden workers are forgotten in barely a week. The people have no remorse, but each one of those celebrity lions inevitably brought their bill and took their money, from the garden owners.

So each time when the sky promises a thunderstorm, one of them enters the garden, but every time with a different frequency, the challenge is to bring all of them in the same frequency. Sometimes Siliguri, Kolkata, Darjeeling, Babus hold meetings and send back a hike as less as Rs 4 and attach a letter for the loss of 104-day strike in the gardens that are still not managed.

The innocent workers look up to the uncrowned king, the king has changed, so has his gestures. With hands in the pocket, the local garden commander looks up at the vultures soaring high around the garden.

He thinks to himself, maybe there is still a little more the workers have to sacrifice to get the MINIMUM WAGE.

Via: The Darjeeling Chronicle

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GlenburnTea Worker has to pay 188 days of work to stay in their Resort

8:58 AM

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Tea Wage Movement

IS IT FAIR: Glenburn Tea Garden Workers Will Have to Work 188 Days to Afford One Night Stay in Their Resort

Various terms are used to make the tourism-based out of tea gardens sound romantic - 'Heritage Tea Tourism" though is the most popular. Not many bother to ask whose heritage?

These days the companies that own tea gardens are also running exorbitantly priced tourism operations. Without any of the benefits trickling down to the actual tea garden workers. They have no share in profit earnings from the tea gardens or the tourism that is run in their backyard.

The subversion of tea gardens, into a tourism hub has been very subtle and on the very sly. There is no provision under the West Bengal Estates Acquisition Act, 1953, for such subversions of tea garden lands. The act specifically specifies that "the land can only be leased out for tea cultivation. The lessee or the company, without reducing the plantation area, may use the land for horticulture and growing medicinal plants on an area not more than 3 percent of the total grant area of the garden."

Yet numerous tea companies are running tourism activities, with whose permission?

Look at this, a one night stay for an individual at Glenburn Tea Estate costs roughly Rs 25000 per night. Yes, it includes food and transport and other facilities for the guest.

But do a rough math.

To be able to afford to stay ONE NIGHT at Glenburn Tea Tourism resort and enjoy the associated facilities, a tea garden worker from Glenburn has to work for 188 days - over 6 months, (assuming s/he can save all her/his wages during that time).

IS IT FAIR?

The tea garden workers are only asking for the implementation of the Minimum Wages Act in the tea gardens of Darjeeling and Dooars. All of your support is needed.

Via DAWN

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Rs.172 - Price of blood, sweat and life of a Tea garden worker in Gorkhaland!

12:28 PM

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Gorkha Students JNU

‘All wealth is the product of labor’- John Locke 

Tea plantations of Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai encompass the two extremes of human existence, the unimaginable opulence of Tea garden owners and the abject impoverishment of workers. Behind the idyllic hills, the scenic gardens, the “romance of the two leaves and a bud”, and the “smiling faces” of the workers, what remains carefully hidden is the ugly truth of sub-human wages, more than a thousand starvation deaths, and seething anger.

The ongoing wage negotiations for tea gardens in the Hills, Dooars & Terai has yet again brought to fore what the West Bengal government and the industry wishes to brush under the carpet. It is another manifestation of the complicity of the state in depriving the workers of their basic minimum level of sustenance. Darjeeling tea derived its value (even has its own Geographical Indication-GI mark) from its qualitative excellence and high exportability. Darjeeling, Dooars and Tarai produces one of finest and most sought after tea in the international market (Iran, Japan, UK, Russia, UAE). Such is the demand for Darjeeling tea that in the year 2016 the finest quality of Darjeeling tea was sold at Rs 1.12 lakh per kg. Tea industry makes valuable contribution to both Central and State Government coffers by way of different Central and State taxes. The West Bengal State enjoys approximately 1500 crores of revenue generated from tea gardens annually along with the revenue from tea tourism, forest, hydel project etc. However, the contributions of the tea garden workers have been rewarded by hardship, struggle, denial of basic rights, untimely medical facilities, forced lockdown of tea gardens and starvation deaths. This perennial appalling condition has compelled the workers of 273 tea gardens to hit the streets and raise their voice for higher wages. Examining the closest history, the wage of workers’ was Rs.45 per day in 2001, Rs. 90 per day in 2010 and Rs.95 per day in 2011. After repeated pressure from workers trade unions, it was increased to Rs 132.50 in 2016. In February 2018, the wage was decided upon as Rs 150/day. However, following the disagreements and protests from the tea gardens workers trade unions, the planters agreed to increase the wage only to Rs 172 per day on 5th August 2018, which the workers have out rightly rejected.

How low is the wage rate in tea gardens?
First, workers of Darjeeling, Dooars, Tarai and Assam are paid the lowest wage among all tea plantations located in India. Eg. Tamil Nadu pays Rs. 303, Karnataka pays Rs 317 while Kerala pays Rs. 600 per day. Ironically tea produced from these locations are not much demanded in international market and fetches low price, even then the tea garden owners are able to pay decent wages more than that of Darjeeling. Secondly, wages of tea garden workers of Darjeeling, Dooars and Tarai is even lower than the government mandated minimum wages in similar occupations in West Bengal. The recently proposed wage rate by the planters and state government for the tea garden workers of Darjeeling, Dooars and Terai is Rs 172, which is even lower than minimum wage paid in Cinchona plantation located in the same region (Rs. 211), in Beedi leaf plucking (Rs. 255), in Agriculture (Rs 278). Thirdly, the money wage was Rs 90 in 2010 and it was proposed to be hiked to Rs 172 on 5th August, 2018. However, if we take into account the rising living expenses (due to rising prices over time-inflation), the real wage (what money wage is able to buy in terms of goods and services) hike is miniscule in terms of purchasing power. For e.g. the goods and services, which could be purchased using Rs. 90 in 2010, will cost Rs.141 in 2018. Even Rs.90 in 2010 was the lowest wage received by workers among workers in other industries during that time. This implies that workers until last year (Rs 132.5 in 2017) were not even getting wage, which could buy same amount of goods they used to buy with Rs. 90 in 2010. Similarly, Rs 172 of 2018 will only buy the same amount of goods what workers could have bought with Rs.109 in 2010. This means that the wage hike proposed by planters is very low if we take into account the rising daily expenses of tea garden workers. Workers are demanding Rs 239.82 as minimum wage, which is just equal to the purchasing power of Rs 152 of 2010. The minimum wage of Rs 239.82 is not even 40% of minimum wage of tea garden workers in Kerala. In an era where LPG refilling costs around Rs 1000, the tea garden workers are bound to survive on a monthly average income of Rs 5000. Since, tea garden is the main source of income for the families, it is beyond impossible to maintain a decent livelihood with such a minimum wage leading intergenerational poverty trap. Contrary to this deplorable condition of workers, the CEO of a tea company (Goodricke Group Limited, Annual Report, 2017-18) has a salary scale of Rs. 4-7 lakhs per month with additional Rs. 50,000 special allowance per month.
What do various reports say? Nearly 1500 tea plantation workers of Dooars and Terai have died due to starvation in the last ten years. According to the state government’s Labour Department Survey (2013) report, nearly Rs 47 crore rupees of provident fund was unpaid to workers in 75 tea gardens in 2013. Around 80% of the gardens had no medical staff and most of the gardens had no access to basic health facilities. The International Labour Organisation in its 2005 report clearly states that the Tea Board, which is the regulating authority of the Tea Industry, has failed to fulfill its stipulated function. They have continuously ignored wage and provident fund defaults of tea gardens, while portraying this crisis only as a marketing mismanagement. The ILO report also suspects that there is collusion between the planters and the State, which is highlighted by the non-implementation of the Tea Act, 1953. Studies show that 70% of the people of the closed tea gardens suffer from chronic energy deficiency III stage. The scale of deprivation and dispossession of livelihoods is such that the workers are forced to languish till they die of hunger and malnutrition. The Supreme Court’s order (dated 06.08.10) categorically asked the Government of India to carry out its statutory duty under Tea Act 1953. This allows the central government to take over the management/control of sick tea gardens (under section 16 B/D/E of the Act) and take steps thereafter to ensure that the interest of the workers are well protected and dues are all paid in time but such clauses never get invoked to protect the interest of the workers. Such low wages and exploitative conditions have resulted in large migration of workers from the tea estate. Human trafficking is also very rampant in the region. A report of a joint study by Unicef, Save the Children and Burdwan University (in 2010) estimates around 3,500 minors alone were trafficked from 12 gardens of Dooars alone.

We reject the recent offers by the Planters and Government of abysmally low wage hike from Rs.150 to Rs. 172.
We demand: 1. Declare and implement decent Minimum Wage for tea Plantation workers equivalent to that of state of Kerala 2. Grant legal ownership of land rights to workers 3. Reopen closed and abandoned tea estates immediately 4. Casual labour in tea gardens should be regularised as soon as possible 5. Backlog of unpaid provident fund and gratuity should be cleared immediately. We salute and stand in solidarity with the uncompromising struggle of workers for their rightful demand. Any attempt to break the unity of the workers or dilute the demands or betray the struggle must be resisted at all cost.

Gorkha Students, JNU Issued on 13/08/18

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Darjeeling tea gardens have become a hotbed for trafficking

4:36 PM

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Stop Human trafficking

Tea gardens that once brewed the world-famous Darjeeling tea have now become a hotbed for trafficking, owing to the undermining of labour rights and rising deprivation.

The Dooars region of West Bengal is known for its alluvial soil and cool climatic conditions, making it a fertile ground for tea gardens. But as tea gardens shut owing to financial and operational constraints, they have in turn become a fertile ground for human trafficking. As production declines, exploitation and deprivation rise.

Pooja was trafficked from Chuapara Tea Estate, Alipurduar, in 2013, when she was 13 years old. She was taken to Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, and sold to a ‘placement agency’ called City Service. Two more girls and two boys were also sold to the agency at the same time. Muskan Khatun, the main accused, insisted that she was actually 16 when she was trafficked and that she went with the agents despite Khatun’s warning her against it. Community Correspondent Harihar Nagbansi, reporting on the case, accessed her birth certificate which proved that she was 13 at the time she was trafficked.  Regardless of whether she was 13 or 16, she was still a minor who was illegally taken away and sold for domestic labour, quite possibly in highly exploitative conditions. For four years, the family could do nothing but wait.

Pooja was brought back home in April 2018, thanks to the local police that tagged team with the Jammu and Kashmir police. It was Harihar’s video, along with the efforts of NGOs like Kripa and Bachpan Bachao Andolan, that got the police to act with urgency. Harihar also credits Chandmuni, Pooja’s mother, for her determination. But the story does not end here, because what happened with Pooja was not an isolated case and not a problem unique to Chuapara alone.

Trafficking is an organised crime, across domestic and international borders. The numbers from the latest National Crime Records Bureau data, speak for themselves. 8,057 persons were reported to be trafficked in 2016. 44% of the cases were reported from West Bengal, of these, the largest proportion was of minor girls. And these are only the on-record figures. Police apathy, lack of awareness and stigma are known to be some of the reasons human trafficking is underreported.

While Pooja was fortunate to be brought back, the other children who were taken with her are still in Srinagar. On an average, 174 children go missing in India every day. Unlike Chandmuni, many parents do not even have a lead. Moreover, trafficked persons are often sold many times over, making it all the more difficult to trace them. In the worst cases, they are killed by those who keep them as bonded slaves.

Underlying causes

Poor economic conditions, lack of educational opportunities, social exclusion and isolation, make people vulnerable to trafficking. At the other end of this deal are rapid urbanisation and the consequent want for cheap labour in other parts of the country. Placement agencies that supply cheap labour to middle and upper-class households in metropolitan cities, to development projects, to brothels, and to villages in Punjab and Haryana as brides.
Minors are particularly vulnerable to trafficking. Presented with the prospects of a glamorous city life, many children might choose to escape from their present living conditions. Khatun also said the same thing about Pooja, that she consented to go despite warnings. But the crucial difference here is that children, and even adults, might give consent but not informed consent. To a 13-year-old living in harsh poverty, the prospect of living in a city and having access to facilities, even at the cost of some labour, might sound appealing. In fact, sometimes, children who are brought back often get tricked into being trafficked once again.

Why tea gardens?

The tea industry is touted as the country’s second largest employer, but also an industry that undermines labour rights and deprives workers and their families deprived of the most basic needs. There’s widespread poverty and malnutrition, obvious factors underscoring the desire for a better life. The availability of basic facilities like healthcare and education is also poor. Wages are as low as ₹132 a day, says Harihar, especially in Dooars. And sometimes, even this wage is not paid on time, never mind the bonus.

As the tea shrubs age, production declines and many tea gardens and tea factories shut down temporarily or permanently without rehabilitating their workers. Political instability in the Darjeeling hills, which has spread to the foothills, has also taken a toll, especially on already-sick tea gardens. Of the 60 tea gardens in Alipurduar, 28 are sick or stressed and six entirely shut. To make ends meet, some take up stone-crushing, and others continue to work in the tea gardens but for independent contractors; both jobs pay even lower.

In the Dooars region, the majority of the workers are Adivasis whose families migrated to the foothills generations ago, mostly from what is present-day Jharkhand. In a state and an industry dominated by upper-caste and upper-class Bengalis and business communities, Adivasi lives are already valued less, isolating them socially and culturally. In such a situation, both migration and trafficking abound.
Dooars is also contiguous with the ‘chicken-neck’ area on the map of India, a narrow region neighbouring Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan, all porous borders. Women and children are often trafficked from both sides of these borders, for manual and sexual labour.

What is being done to combat it?

When Harihar asks Chandmuni what she will do to ensure that her daughter is not taken away again, she says that she will engage her in some work and even educate her if she wants to study. The lack of rehabilitation facilities for those rescued coupled with stigma, especially for girls who are trafficked, make it difficult for children to adjust to life in their homes once again.
However, education, like Chandmuni points out, is an important step. Binay Narjenary, a representative of Kripa, says that awareness is crucial. “People must be made aware of the problems girls and women face, and then take steps to ensure their safety”, he says.

NGOs seem to be at the forefront of tackling the problem, as of now. But local NGOs have limitations in curbing a country-wide crime with networks and nodes that cannot be traced. They can provide support in individual cases, but putting an end to trafficking requires the active participation of the state.

To this end, the government introduced the Anti-Trafficking Bill which has recently been passed by the Lok Sabha. But the Bill, unfortunately, does more injustice than justice. To begin with, it continues to criminalise victims of trafficking by trying them for working without authorisation in case of domestic labour or soliciting in case of sexual labour. Moreover, it runs into the danger of conflating migration and trafficking; both phenomena might have similar underlying causes, but the former is voluntary and cannot be penalised. The Bill also recommends rehabilitation measures like state-run shelter homes, which have been rejected by bodies like the UN.

If passed, the Bill will be an insensitive piece of legislation, even on paper. While on the ground, no legislation is enough to change attitudes towards trafficking or to break the silence around it. Combined efforts by local communities, NGOs, individuals and state officials, like in Pooja’s case, are a beginning, but long-term solutions will come from regular awareness, sensitive laws, efficient implementation and socio-economic development and sustainable livelihoods.

Article by Alankrita Anand

Via YKA

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GNLF TO GHERAO GTA HEADQUARTER LAL KOTHI ON 4TH MAY

7:30 AM

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Tea Garden

GNLF'S sister wing Himalayan Planters Workers Union [ HPWU] today in a press conference at Darjeeling said that they will gherao GTA headquarter LAL KOTHI on 4th  May demanding the immediate release of the daily wages of the labours which they are yet to receive of the 104 days strike.

Speaking with the press HPWU President JB Tamang said that on 4th May we have decided to involve  workers from all the tea gardens of Darjeeling hills as they are the ones who are discriminated .

  We will be picketing in different places like Rohini, Sukna, Bagpool and Panighata from 27th April where all the central committee members of the HPWU will participate keeping in mind the 7 point demand for the welfare of the tea garden workers said Tamang. He further said we have decided these places for picketing as these places are the main doorway to transport pukka tea to Siliguri from the hills.

Workers from different tea gardens had  participated whole heartedly during the movement for the seperate state Gorkhaland. But the leaders both Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa who were at the forefront during the movement have accepted  GTA , but  they have not taken any step for the tea garden workers said Tamang.

He further said that we are hearing that vice chairman of GTA Anit Thapa is distributing umbrellas to the workers, but they don't need umbrellas they need their wages of 104 days. Since both Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa are not taking any initiative at the demands of the tea garden workers  thus to keep the demands of the workers  we will gherao GTA headquarter on 4th May said Tamang.

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Darjeeling Likely to Witness Another Agitation

11:46 AM

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gjm

Darjeeling Likely to Witness Another Agitation From May 1

In an interview given to the Himalayan Beacon, published on Tuesday, CITU has declared that they would be launching an agitation for the workers of Darjeeling, Terai and Duars from May 1. The agitation, however, will mostly focus on the demands of the tea garden and hotel workers. This can be perceived as an affront to the Darjeeling-based Binay Tamang-Anit Thapa faction of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). This faction had earlier declared that the hills will not witness any more strikes. However, the workers’ agitation will most probably be too prickly for the faction to handle, considering that they form the core base of voters in the hills.

As far as the tea garden workers are concerned CITU has three demands; that the workers be brought under the Minimum Wages Act, 1948, that they should receive the ration money owed to them, and that they should receive land rights.

Tea gardens are not one of the Scheduled Employments in West Bengal under the Minimum Wages Act. The issue of the tea garden workers began in 2014 when they had agitated to be brought under the Minimum Wages Act. In 2015, a tripartite agreement was signed between the workers’ unions, the owners’ union and the West Bengal Government. The agreement stipulated a gradual increase in the minimum wage over a period of three years. In 2017 another meeting was called to revise the minimum wages agreed to in 2015, other than the Trinamool Congress affiliated unions, all the others stayed away in protest against the move. CITU in the interview has alleged that three years since the first agreement was signed, the workers are yet to receive the agreed minimum wages. This also ties into their demand that the ration money owed to workers be paid. As a result, they demand that the entire amount owed to the workers be paid, and that tea gardens also come under the Act.

The issue of land rights is another sore point. According to the CITU representative, the provisions of The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006, has not been extended to the tea garden workers. When the tea gardens were first established in Darjeeling, the colonial planters had secured large areas of forest which they converted into plantations. However, not all the area claimed by the gardens has been cleared. It is in these forested parts where the workers have established their homes. Thus generations of tea garden workers have lived on these lands. On this basis, after the 2006 Act came into force, the workers were entitled to hold title over the land on which they live.

The issues highlighted by the CITU representative for the hospitality industry workers focused on; wages for the period of the 2017 agitation, that benefits such as gratuity, provident fund, employees state insurance, and health insurance be extended to them and that they should be able to avail leave on government holidays. Here too, they had launched a movement in 2015, seeking that minimum wages be fixed based on the type ofestablishment – a small restaurant would pay less than a five-star hotel. The movement resulted in a bipartite agreement with the hotel owners’ association. However, the agreement has yet to be implemented. In this regard, the CITU representative has declared expanded demands for the hospitality industry workers.

The CITU representative also mentioned that though the agitation at present is focused on the plight of the tea garden and hospitality industry workers, the agitation would be for the rights of all the workers in the region. He specifically mentioned the hospital staff, construction workers and migrant workers in this regard. He also stated that the unions had submitted memorandums to the concerned owners and that the memorandums contained an ultimatum that unless their demands are met, they would launch an agitation from May 1 till the end of July. This point is significant since the agitation would cripple the tourism industry.

The Binay Tamang – Anit Thapa faction of the GJM has stated that they are pro-business and would not allow any agitations or strikes in the hills. However, they appear to have forgotten the origins of the GJM’s founder, Bimal Gurung. Gurung came from a family of tea garden workers. His residence and the nucleus of the GJM’s power lay in Patleybas, a notoriously poor and rough neighbourhood on the fringes of Darjeeling. One of Gurung’s most popular moves among the tea garden workers in the Darjeeling hills was in 2011 when he was able to secure a raise in their wages. Prior to his intervention, the workers were getting Rs. 67 per day, he was, however, able to raise it to Rs. 90. This worked out as an increase of around 34 percent. At present, the agitation that has been threatened seeks to raise this wage further.

Chances are that the Binay Tamang-Anit Thapa faction will intervene at least in the hills to prevent the agitation from taking place. In the Dooars and Terai, the Bimal Gurung faction still holds sway, it is unlikely that they would miss an opportunity to bring their rival faction down a peg. If the matter is not resolved by May 1, Darjeeling will lose another year of tourism revenue. However, this clearly appears to be a gamble the workers are willing to risk

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Solidarity from Gorkha Students, JNU for tea garden workers

10:26 AM

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society

A statement of solidarity from Gorkha Students, JNU to the protesting tea garden workers for their minimum wage

All tea workers unions from Darjeeling, Dooars and Tarai under the broad banner of Joint Forum have decided to go for a 48 hour strike in Bengal against the exploitation of tea garden owners of Bengal, who are living in deplorable condition with less than minimum wage which is insufficient to live a dignified life. It is co-incidentally at the same time when the people of Gorkhaland are struggling against the oppressive linguistic imposition of the Bengal government on the indigenous people of the land.  The Hills, Terai and Dooars of Gorkhaland are gripped in seething angst when it is forced to witness the misery of its own people in the form of hunger and starvation deaths. It is outrageous to see the workers of a multi-million industry (tea plantation) dying a slow and painful death due to hunger and starvation. The irony of this situation is lies in the presence of stark poverty, chronic hunger and exploitation along-side the colossal profits these tea-gardens generate for the owners and the State. According to an estimate by the Darjeeling Chamber of Commerce, tea industry in the hills generates an average of Rs. 450 crores revenue annually, equal to that of the tourism industry in the region. Absence of workers’ rights, non-payment of minimum wages and benefits is not specific to the tea-industry alone but is rather a persistent feature of work in the highly segment labour-market in India. However, it is pertinent to highlight here the starkly Regional Aspects of Discrimination that lies so strongly visible in the tea industry. The minimum wage paid to unskilled tea labour in Kerala is Rs.301, in Assam it is Rs.158.54, in neighbouring Sikkim it is Rs. 200 while the same in Darjeeling comes to a meagre Rs.112. Even the minimum wage paid in West Bengal for MGNREGA is around Rs. 130-151 and for agricultural laborer is Rs. 206 per day. The tea workers in North Bengal are thus made to work for wages which is far below the minimum in any form of work. It is very shrewd on the part of the owners to claim low wages are due to low price being earned from the sales of tea leaves produced from these gardens. If this be the case then why the wages of workers remains same in those tea gardens which fetches the highest price in the world tea market( for instance Rs. 1.1 lakhs per kg of tea is produced by Makaibari tea garden but wages remain still at Rs.112).
In the last decade more than 1400 tea workers have died due to acute malnutrition and starvation. As recent as January 2013, 95 workers of the locked out Dheklapara Tea Estate in Dooars sent a letter to the Chief Minister of West-Bengal seeking her “order” to kill themselves because they were suffering from acute starvation. The tea workers therefore are forced to languish till they die of hunger and malnutrition. Studies show that 70% of the people of the closed tea gardens suffer from chronic energy deficiency III stage. In the gardens affected by starvation death like Red Bank, Bandapani, Diana and Kathalguri tea gardens, it was found that workers and their families have Body Mass Index (BMI) identical to those populations affected by severe famine.
The starvation death in the tea gardens, the crushing of the identity of the Gorkhas and other minorities and the denial of basic rights to oppressed communities in Bengal has been a phenomenon for centuries in Bengal. The hegemonic forces are united to crush every single voice of dissent and so now the time has come that the oppressed be united to fight against this domination for a better tomorrow.
At this hour of crisis, Gorkha Students, JNU stands in full support with the tea garden workers and the Gorkha people in their struggle for dignity, self-respect and a better life. When Oppressors are always united and consolidated, it is a historic responsibility on our shoulders to unite and fight for a just and egalitarian society!
We also demand that:
1. Closed and abandoned tea estates be reopened immediately.
2. Stop privatisation of government operated tea gardens.
3. Declare and implement Minimum Wage for tea plantation workers.
4. Grant legal ownership of housing space to workers
5. Casual labour should also be brought under the purview of Plantation Labour Act, 1951.
6. Backlog of unpaid Provident fund and gratuity should be cleared without delay.

Gorkha Students, JNU

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President Pranab Mukherjee in Darjeeling

3:58 PM

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West Bengal

Darjeeling 12th July 2016 President Pranab Mukherjee on his four day visit to Darjeeling he arrived at Darjeeling on July 12 accompanied by Governor of WB Keshari Nath Tripathi. A state reception was hosted in the afternoon in his honour in at Chowrasta Darjeeling where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also present. President Mukherjee will preside over Bhanu Jayanti, the birth anniversary of Nepali poet Bhanubhakta Acharya, function in Darjeeling on July 13 which happens to be the first ever official celebration of the Bhanu Jayanti by the West Bengal State government since independence.The President President would be present in the Annual General Meeting of Darjeeling Tea Association the next day.

President Pranab Mukherjee and Governor Tripathi rested for a while at Kurseong Tourist Lodge on the way to Darjeeling who were received by senior Sub-divisional officials.

President Mukherjee on His Way to Darjeeling in Kurseong

Owing to President's visit to Darjeeling today, and given the cancellation of his aerial trip, the President and other dignitaries had to take a normal route to reach Darjeeling from Bagdogra airport. Vehicles traveling to Siliguri from Darjeeling had to take either the Mirik or Kalimpong route untill the arrival of President.

This is President Mukherjee's second vist to the Darheeling hill. The last time Mukherjee visited Darjeeling was on November 10, 2013 to flag off the 125th anniversary celebrations of St Joseph's School.

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Darjeeling Trade union threatens road blockades during President visit

11:49 AM

•

National

DARJEELING 7 Jul 2016 Intensifying the ongoing agitation of tea garden workers , the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union today threatened to call its road blockades and  ‘chakka jam’ during the visit of the President and the West Bengal chief minister to the hills, from July 12 to 15.

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha affiliated trade union is spearheading a relay hunger strike from June 16 demanding clearance of workers' dues and the agitation today reached its 22nd day.

The Alchemist group run Dootriah, Kalej Valley and Peshok tea gardens stand to pay dues up to Rs10 crore towards workers' provident fund, gratuity, salary and wages and other fringe benefits, while Jogmaya Tea Company and Panighatta tea estate, which are owned by other entities, have an unpaid accumulative amount of Rs2.46 crore.

Today, Darjeeling MLA Amar Rai and Rohit Sharma, his counterpart from Kurseong, visited the venue of the relay hunger strike and spoke with the agitators. Tilak Chand Roka, a GJM central committee leader and legal advisor to the DTDPLU, threatened an intensified agitation to press for the workers' demand. “We will close all the tea gardens in the hills as part of our intensified agitation.

We will even go for road blockades and chakka jam during the visit of the President and chief minister to the hills,” he threatened from outside the district magistrate’s office where the agitation is being staged.

As per the tentative schedule, President Pranab Mukherjee is expected to fly to Darjeeling on July 12. The next day, he will attend the birth anniversary celebrations of renowned Nepali poet

Bhanu Bhakta Acharya. On July 14, Mukherjee is expected to address the annual general meeting of the Darjeeling Tea Association and he will fly back to Bagdogra the next day. Chief minister Mamata

Banerjee will receive President Mukherjee at Bagdogra airport on July 11 and accompany him to the hills.

“Our agitation has entered the 22nd day but we have yet to receive any positive proposals or assurances from the owners of the five tea gardens or the state government. The workers have lost their patience to tolerate any further,” said Roka.

The threat of an intensified agitation by the trade union is contrary to what GJM general secretary Roshan Giri recently said after a meeting with K.D. Singh, the Trinamool MP who owns the Alchemist group of tea gardens. Giri had said a positive outcome was in the offing.

The DTDPLU legal advisor said the apathy being shown by the owners, the management and the state government in addressing the issue would affect more than 3,000 workers of the five tea gardens. “They are frustrated and in dire condition as they have not receied their salary and wages. In fact, many of them are being forced remain on empty stomachs. This is why we want the state government to show a positive attitude,” Roka said.

The three gardens under the Alchemist group have 2,598 workers in total, while Jogmaya and Panighatta gardens have 188 and 1,000 workers, respectively.

(EOIC)

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Hills on agitation path for salary hike & dues spearheaded by GJM

10:18 AM

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Trinamool Congress

Vivek Chhetri

Darjeeling, June 13: GTA offices and some tea gardens are in the grip of movements spearheaded by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha in the hills.

While all 284 Group A and B ad hoc employees at the hill body started a pen-down strike this morning to demand a salary hike, the Morcha-affiliated tea garden trade union today announced a 72-hour relay hunger strike on the district magistrate's office premises this week to press for the payment of dues in plantations owned by Trinamul Congress MP K.D. Singh.

Janmukti Asthai Karmachari Sangathan, the trade union of the Morcha, launched the strike to demand a hike in salaries of Group A and B casual staff at the GTA similar to the one effected by the state government for Group C and D ad hoc workers from March 1. The Group A and B employees include engineers, doctors, managers and school teachers.

The agitating GTA employees outside Lal Kothi on Monday. (Suman Tamang)

"In the GTA, the highest amount a Group A officer like engineers and doctors currently receives is Rs 21,000 per month, while some drivers in Group C section are now getting Rs 22,500 following the recent hike. This is unfair. We will continue the agitation until the government rectifies the anomaly," said Deepak Sharma, the spokesman for the Sangathan.

The GTA has over 19,000 employees in total and 5,321 of them were appointed on a temporary basis. Since there are permanent employees in the Group A and B categories and today was the first day of the strike, the GTA's functioning was not affected.

The Morcha-affiliated Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union today said it had decided to start the 72-hour relay fast in the district magistrate's office from June 16 and block NH55 on June 21 and 22 to press for the payment of dues in the three gardens run by the Alchemist Group.

The union claims that the dues come to Rs 10 crore.

Early this morning, tea garden and cinchona plantation workers also demonstrated for an hour before reporting for work to demand land rights for the inhabitants of the tea and cinchona plantations.

Telegraph

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Morcha to plan movement demanding land rights to tea and cinchona workers

7:38 AM

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Roshan Giri

Writes: Vivek Chhetri

The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has decided to start a movement demanding land rights for tea garden and cinchona plantation workers and minimum wages for tea estate labourers.

The party will form a 50-member committee that will have Morcha representatives and apolitical people from tea gardens and cinchona plantations, to chalk out the course of action.

The decision was taken at a meeting of members of the Morcha central committee, representatives of Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union (tea and cinchona units) and elected GTA Sabha members at the Gorkha Rangamanch Bhawan today.

Morcha general secretary Roshan Giri said: "It has been decided that a 50-member committee will be formed on May 15 to pursue the demand of land rights and minimum wages for tea garden workers. The committee will chart the future course of agitation."

Morcha representative handing over demand for Land rights to Union Commerce and
Industries Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

Morcha sources said this was the first time in "three-four years" that a joint meeting of the party central committee and the union leaders from gardens was held. "It is probably an outcome of opposition parties mobilising support in the hills," said a union leader.

The hill tea gardens have around 55,000 permanent and 20,000 temporary workers and nearly 5,000 people work in the cinchona plantations.

After its formation, Harka Bahadur Chhetri's Jana Andolan Party had laid stress on demanding land rights for tea and cinchona workers. Some JAP leaders from the Teesta Valley region in Darjeeling subdivision who took up the cause, however, joined the Morcha before the Assembly elections.
Today, Giri said: "The Left Front government had called a meeting in Calcutta on July 22, 2009, to look into the issue of granting land rights to tea garden workers. The meeting had been attended by land and land reforms commissioner and the principal secretary of commerce and industries department among others. Representative of the Consultative Committee on Plantation Associations had, however, expressed their opposition, after which the issue was not pursued. The TMC government did not hold a single meeting on this."

Giri said the Morcha would consult legal experts to see if the GTA could grant land rights to the cinchona workers.

"The GTA Act states that matters related to settling land rights and renewing lease of cinchona plantation lies with the GTA," he said.

Section 26 of the GTA Act says the hill body will have "administrative, financial and executive powers in the region in relation to cinchona plantation and settlement of land in possession of plantation inhabitants; management of lease of cinchona lands etc."

The state government has formed a committee to look into the minimum wage issue.

Meanwhile
Workers of Dooteriah tea estate, 25km from Darjeeling, have threatened to block NH55 on May 18 if the management fails to clear their dues by May 14.

"The garden is owned by Trinamul Rajya Sabha member K.D. Singh and wages have been due since January. If it is not cleared we will block NH55 at Ghoom on May 18," said Ashok Rai, a garden employee. The estate has 1,372 labourers.

Source Telegraph

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Darjeeling Hailstorm - Tourists stroll in icy streets; Loreto basketball court roof collapses

7:44 AM

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Hill

Darjeeling, March 31: Darjeeling was covered in white with the hill town experiencing an unprecedented bout of hailstorm at noon today.

Hailstone accompanied by a strong drizzle that lasted for nearly an hour from 11.45am had the town covered in more than four inches of ice.

It had last snowed here in 2008 and even though hailstones were not as soothing as snowfall, an icy Darjeeling was greeted with much enthusiasm by local residents and tourists alike. <>The scene was like a snow-covered Darjeeling.Saha and his friends were stuck in a massive traffic jam near the district magistrate' office along 18 Lebong Cart Road. Hailstorms occur when there is moisture in the air and temperature soars high. Walking became a Herculean task mainly through uphill paths.

Victoria falls covered with hailstones in Darjeeling on 31st march 2016

Tea planters were concerned about the damage to first flush.

Sandeep Mukherjee, the principal advisor to the Darjeeling Tea Association, said: "Hailstones at this time will definitely affect the first flush. We are, however, still collecting reports of the damage from different places."

The first flush plucking starts from February-end and continues till April. First flush constitutes around 15-20 per cent of the total annual tea production and commands highest price and is suited for export. Darjeeling produces around 8 million kg of made-tea annually.

The roof of Loreto basketball court (below) was destroyed in the hailstorm
on Thursday. Pictures by Suman Tamang

Sources at the Indian Meteorological Department in Calcutta said there was a forecast of rainfall and thunder-squall across north Bengal in the next few days and hailstorm in Sikkim. "Like it happened in Darjeeling today, there is a forecast of similar hailstorm in Sikkim in the next few days. There was isolated rain in some areas of north Bengal today," said an IMD source.

While Siliguri received rain today, there was a bout of hailstorm in Fulbari.


Via Telegraph

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JAP's first meeting in Darjeeling decides to hold dharna for Land Rights for Tea and Cinchona Workers

10:03 PM

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Politics

Vivek Chhetri

The Jan Andolan Party today held its first meeting in Darjeeling and decided to organise dharnas across the hills to demand land rights for tea garden and cinchona plantation workers.

Most of the 87 tea gardens in the hills are in Darjeeling and Kurseong subdivisions. The issue of land rights is likely to touch the majority of the people in the two subdivisions as tea garden workers, who comprise more than 70 percent of the population in the two subdivisions, do not have any right over the land where they have been living for generations.

Amar Lama, a member of the JAP's bureau, said today: "During the meeting, it was decided that dharnas would be organised to demand land rights as this is an important issue for our people living in tea gardens and cinchona plantations. Even though we plan to hold the dharnas soon, the date and venues will be announced later."

Jan Andolan Party today held its first meeting in Darjeeling

During the meeting, the JAP, launched by Kalimpong MLA Harka Bahadur Chhetri in January, formed an ad hoc committee of the Darjeeling subdivision. Salim Tamang has been appointed as the convener of the subdivisional committee, while Pranay Rana has been made the convener of the party's subdivisional youth wing.

"Various GTA constituency-level committees have already been created. Trade union units have also been formed at Liza Hill, Rangmook, Cedar and Ging tea gardens," said Lama.

The bureau member said the party had decided not to impose decision from the top. "We are empowering respective committees to take their own decision. For example, the subdivisional committee will not interfere in the formation of constituency committees," said Lama.

The various committees have also been asked to start membership drive across the hills. "We are also launching a signature campaign on granting land rights. We want to collect at least 1 lakh signatures in the campaign," said Lama.

Simultaneously, JAP leaders have started visiting different places in the hills to hear the grievances of the public. "We have started the drive in Kalimpong subdivision and are launching the same in Darjeeling and Kurseong subdivisions soon," said Lama.

Mahendra P. Lama, the chairman of the bureau, when asked about the coming elections, said: "Our party will be contesting the elections."

The JAP is also looking at opening an office in Darjeeling town. "We have recently opened a contact office at Ghoom and are looking at opening a party office in the town soon," Amar Lama said.

Source: Telegraph

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Tea Board of India to take 7 sick gardens from Duncan-Goenka - Gurung Thanks Nirmala Sitharaman and SS Ahluwalia

9:50 AM

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S. S. Ahluwalia

Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Chief Bimal Gurung has applauded the efforts of Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia which has resulted in the Central government ordering the Tea Board of India to take over the 7 sick gardens from Duncan-Goenka conglomerate.

In an unprecedented and historic move the Central Government has asked the Tea Board to take over the management of the seven tea gardens owned by Duncan Industries in view of their deteriorating conditions.

This is the 1st time in the history of tea gardens that the Central government has directly interfered and used the rarely provisions of Chapter III-A of the Tea Act, 1953 (29 of 1953) - which allows the Central government to take over if "tea gardens are being managed in a manner "highly detrimental" to the tea industry and to public interest."

Minister Sitharaman attending workers meet with Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwali and GJM
Chief Bimal Gurung in Dooars on January, 2016

Mr. Gurung has stated that, "the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has for the past two years kept up the pressure on the Central Government to take decisive action to protect the rights of the workers, and we are thankful to Ms. Nirmala Sitharam and Mr. SS Ahluwalia who have understood the need for protecting the rights of the workers."

"The decision to take over a sick garden by the Central government has wide repercussions, as it sends a loud and clear message to the tea garden owners that you cannot take the workers and their welfare for granted anymore... every tea garden owner will now be compelled to think and rethink before deciding to abandon a garden" said a local activist working for tea garden worker's rights who is associated with Darjeeling and Dooars Tea Workers Relief Organization - DAWN

While applauding the Central Government, Mr. Bimal Gurung has decried the "double speak" on the part of the Trinmool Congress. In particular, Mr. Gurung highlighted the fact that three tea gardens owned and operated by Alchemist Group - Dhooteria, Miling and Peshok which belongs to Trinmool Rajya Sabha MP KD Singh has not paid its workers or provided ration for the past 8 months, and has demanded action against Alchemist group as well as KD Singh.

In his statement, Mr. Gurung has said, "while the Chief Minister Ms. Mamata Banerjee has giving assurances to tea garden workers on numerous occasions, she hasn't done one single thing that would benefit them... if she is serious about providing justice to the tea garden workers , she should take approrpiate action against her own Rajya Sabha MP KD Singh and ask him to resign on the basis on non-payment of wages to the workers in our hills.... Mr. KD Singh owes the hill workers around Rs 5.54 Crores"

Mr. Gurung has also highlighted the plight of workers in Panighatta and has demanded immediate action from both the state and the Central government to resolve the crisis that workers are facing

Via TheDC

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‪Darjeeling‬ MP Demands - Land Rights + Minimum Wages Act + BPL Status for Tea Garden Workers in Parliament

9:49 AM

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West Bengal

Darjeeling MP Shri. S.S. Ahluwalia yesterday raised the issue of suffering and pain that the tea garden workers in Darjeeling and Dooars have to face.

Highlighting the fact that Darjeeling tea is coveted world over, Mr. Ahluwalia said, "on his recent visit of the Queen of England, our Prime Minister gifted her among other things tea from the Makaibari estate in Darjeeling. While Darjeeling tea is celebrated internationally and was the 1st agricultural product from India to be accorded a Geographical Indicator (GI) status by the WTO, the tea garden workers have continued to languish in abject poverty.

Madam I want to draw your attention, and through you the attention of the Govt of India and the Govt of West Bengal, to the plights and sufferings of the tea garden workers from my constituency of Darjeeling and the adjoining Dooars region.

Since 2002 close to 2000 tea garden workers have starved to death in these tea gardens, and this year alone over 70 tea garden workers have died due to starvation, malnutrition and related diseases. However, nothing has been done to rectify the situation, and to provide assistance to the tea garden workers."

Darjeeling MP Shri. S.S. Ahluwalia

Mr. Ahluwalia stated that the sufferings of the tea garden workers could be directly linked to the Plantations Labor Act of 1951 which is highly feudalistic and nature and called for its amendment, he said, "Plantations across India are guided by the Plantation Labourer Act of 1951, PLA 1951 is heavily tilted in favour of the tea garden owners. So skewed is PLA towards the tea garden owners that, that under Sections 39 and 40, no courts in India (including the Supreme Court) can take any cognizance of any offence undertaken by tea garden management, and can only do so if the “complaint made by, or with the previous sanction in writing of, the chief inspector,” who in most cases is the labour commissioner.

Which means that even the courts cannot interfere against the tea garden management, unless requested to do so by the ‘chief inspectors’ which in today’s term are the ‘labour commissioners’. But the incidences of labour commissioners filling cases against tea garden owners are almost unheard of. The Plantation Labour Act as it stands today, is against the spirit of the Indian constitution and thus should be summarily amended to reflect current realities."

Highlighting the need for granting land rights to the tea garden workers, Shri. Ahluwalia said, "Madam, in addition to the flaws in PLA 1951 which is heavily skewed against the workers, one of the most significant fact working against the welfare of the workers in that the tea garden workers do not own the right to land.

They may live and serve in the tea gardens for generations, but if and when the tea garden owner decides, the worker’s family can be asked to vacate his home and leave the garden. Given which, each tea garden family is expected to send at least one worker to work for the tea garden. This is nothing less than a bonded labour like situation, where the workers have to continue sending their children to work in the gardens, lest they be asked to leave their home, friends and family if they chose not to. Thus, it is most important that the workers are given Land Rights so that they are not subject to whims and fancies of the tea garden owners."

Highlighting the discrepancy in pay that tea garden workers from Darjeeling receive, Mr. Ahluwalia said, "Madam the tea garden workers of Darjeeling and Dooars are the lowest paid workers in the nation. Their salary as it stands today is Rs 112.50 per day. Whereas the minimum wage rates for agricultural workers in West Bengal is Rs 206 per day (with food) for the non-skilled workers, Rs. 228 per day with food for semi-skilled workers, and Rs 252 per day with food for skilled workers [Details: http://bit.ly/1mwBdTX].

Plucking tea, processing them and packaging them require high degree of skills, yet the tea garden workers are only paid Rs 112.50 per day. In comparison the tea garden workers in Kerala get paid a basic wage of Rs 254 per day, in Tamil Nadu it is Rs 209, in Karnataka it is Rs 228, and even in next door Sikkim the workers get paid Rs 220.

I demand that the wages for tea garden workers be set the same for all the tea workers across India, and the minimum wages be set according to current rates."

Highlighting the abysmal state of tea garden governance and management, Shri. Ahluwalia highlighted the stats from a 2013 Govt of West Bengal report, he stated:

Madam the tea companies are expected to provide fringe benefits to the workers, yet an exhaustive survey of 273 tea gardens in the region, by the Govt of West Bengal found that:

87 tea estates could not provide registration certificate/number under Plantation Labour Act. This raises the question whether a large number of estates are being run by fictitious owners

116 tea estates have been run by different management in the last 10 years. Some of these estates are run by the promoters, who do not care for long-term development of the plantations

175 estates do not have labour welfare officers. Five tea estates could not provide registration number granted by Tea Board of India. Leases of 114 tea estates have expired; of them 105 have applied for renewal

41 tea estates did not deposit money towards provident fund contribution in 2012-13. In preceding three years, the numbers were 13, 18 and 24, respectively. In 46 estates total PF dues as part of workers’ contribution are Rs 17.14 crore. In 55 estates dues, as part of management’s contribution, are Rs 33.79 crore

08 tea estates have not paid wages to workers. In 35 estates workers are yet to be paid arrear wages as per last wage settlement. Food rations are due in 35 estates

84 tea estates are getting financial support through the Centrally sponsored employment guarantee scheme, MGNREGS; 22 estates are covered under food subsidy scheme, Antyodaya Anna Yojana

95,835 workers, or 36 per cent of the 262,426 living in tea estates across West Bengal, are yet to be provided with housing facilities as required under the Plantation Labour Act

166 of 273 tea estates have hospitals. The rest depend on visiting doctors. Of the 166, only 56 tea estates have full-time residential doctors and 50 have a nurse. Of the doctors at the 166 tea estates, 92 do not have an MBBS degree

[Details here: http://bit.ly/1S5Swr0]

Shri. Ahluwalia thus demanded:

1. Immediate granting of land rights for all the tea garden workers in Darjeeling and Dooars region.
2. Implementation of minimum wages act in the tea gardens of Darjeeling and Dooars and associated benefits.
3. Declare all tea garden workers as living under Below Poverty Line, until they are included in Minimum Wages Act, and grant them all the facilities and benefits due to those classified under BPL sections.
4. An inter-Ministerial committee comprising of tea garden representatives and local experts (in addition to Govt officials) to study the nature, scope and scale of problems plaguing the tea industry, and to develop a comprehensive plan to revive the tea industry
5. Make comprehensive changes to the PLA to reflect the realities of 2015-16 and to make all those provisions redundant that go against the spirit of our constitution.

8. Allow for immediate amendments to Section 39 and 40 – allowing courts to take cognizance of the offenses in tea gardens.
9. Make it mandatory for the Tea Board of India to provide ration and benefits to the workers, in case of any tea garden owners abandoning their garden.
10. Make it a criminal offense for the tea garden owners to abandon their tea gardens, or fail to provide them necessary wages and benefits that are stipulated by the law.

He also highlighted the failure of estate owners to fulfil statutory benefits for workers, like housing and hospitals.

Following his speech, the TMC MP Mr. Sugata Bose stated that the Bengal government was providing assistance to the tea garden workers, and he said that the Bengal government was willing to change the laws to assist the tea garden workers.

BJP MP Mr. Rajiv Pratap Rudy then supported the issue and requested the Minister for Commerce and Industry Ms. Nirmala Sitharaman to respond.

To which the Hon'ble Minister Sitharam said, "Thank you Madam, the Hon'ble Member has raised a very, very sensitive issue... since last year, this is a matter of great conecrn for us. In fact, I visited North Bengal, particularly, some tea estates from where we have reports of alleged deaths of workers. I have fone and visited and seen the situation then... but certainly the Hon. Member has raised a very, very important issue and a ot of people have also identified and associated themselves. I will come with a comprehensive reply subsiquently."

Via TheDC

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Morcha backed Hills, Dooars 12-hour strike successfull

10:25 AM

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West Bengal

Dec. 10: The 12-hour strike called by the Darjeeling, Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union and the Progressive Tea Workers' Union today demanding the reopening of Panighata Tea Estate in the Terai and other closed Dooars gardens was total across the hills and near total in the Dooars.

Today, two workers of Panighata garden in Mirik block, around 35km from Siliguri, died. The garden has been shut since October 10.

In Darjeeling and the Dooars, private transport remained off the roads and shops and markets, most educational institutions, banks and private establishments were closed. Government offices were open and attendance was normal.

All tea gardens in the hills were shut but those in the Dooars were open as they were kept out of the strike's purview.

Bimal Gurung, the chief of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha that backs the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union, issued a press release saying the shutdown was successful. "Thank you people for the overwhelming support for general strike called by the Darjeeling Terai Dooars Plantation Labour Union in Darjeeling and Dooars against the distressed condition of Panighata tea garden and other 20 tea gardens in the Dooars," it read. "From the hills of Darjeeling to Jaigaon (on the India-Bhutan border in Alipurduar), everything remained shut..."

Gurung sought the state's intervention while reiterating the demand for a separate state. "The state government must look into the condition of these tea workers or grant us our separate state so that we can solve the long pending demands of these tea workers," he stated in the release.

The Morcha union had called the strike in the hills. Later, the PTWU joined the agitation and extended its purview to the plains as well.

In the Dooars, bandh supporters picketed Banarhat and Lakkhipara and blocked NH31C. Few government buses ran today. In the morning, some strike supporters blocked the main road to Bhutan in Jaigaon. The protest was withdrawn after police arrival.

"The state is not taking any initiative to see that the estates of the Duncans Goenka Group function properly and the closed tea estates reopen," John Barla, the PTWU president, said. "It (the strike) turned out to be a success."

Unlike the tea strike called by the Joint Forum, a common platform of 24 tea trade unions, on December 1 which was partial, today's strike proved that the Morcha and Barla still have considerable clout in the Dooars. "It is a fresh concern for Trinamul and other political parties," an observer said.

Sourav Chakraborty, the Trinamul president of Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts, said: "The state is putting in the best efforts to provide relief to tea workers and their families in the Duncans Group estates and the closed gardens. The state is sincerely trying to reopen the shut gardens. The strike affected the regular life and economy of the Dooars."

In Darjeeling, Prashant Pradhan, the assistant secretary of the Morcha union, said: "Tomorrow, we will review the strike. If situation remains unchanged in the Dooars and Panighata, we might go for an indefinite hunger strike and a 72-hour general strike."

Yesterday, the state labour department had called meetings with the unions and the Panighata management but no one from the management turned up.

The workers from Panighata who died today are Purna Prasad Chhetri, 50, and Leela Rai, 52. "Purna was weak and died in his home without treatment. Leela had a heart ailment and died at a hospital," Harihar Acharya, the Terai committee president of the Morcha union, said.

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