Massive Rally in Dibrugarh: Assam’s Tea Workers Unite to Demand ST Status, Wage Hike, and Land Rights
The peaceful rally, backed by major unions, disrupted tea estate operations and sent a strong message ahead of the 2026 elections.
DIBRUGARH- In a resounding display of unity and long-simmering frustration, over 50,000 tea tribe and Adivasi workers from across Assam poured into the streets of Dibrugarh on Monday, demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, a daily wage hike, and land rights.
The massive, peaceful rally — organized by the Assam Tea Workers’ Union (ATWU), Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Union (ATTSU), All Tea Tribes Students’ Union (ATSU), and All Chah Janajati Mahasabha (ACJM) — brought the city to a virtual standstill, affecting operations in more than 200 tea estates across Upper Assam.
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Participants carrying banners with slogans like “No ST, No Rest” and “Adivasi Unity Zindabad” began assembling early morning at Mancotta Puja Field, Borpathar Playground, and Jail Road, before converging at Chowkidinghee Chariali, where they staged a five-hour sit-in beneath Dibrugarh’s iconic Clock Tower.
Their Key Demands:
- Immediate inclusion in the Scheduled Tribe list for communities such as Moran, Motok, Chutia, Tai-Ahom, Koch-Rajbongshi, and Tea Tribes — a promise pending since the BJP’s 2014 manifesto.
- Wage hike to ₹551 per day, calculated under the Dr. Wallace Aykroyd Formula, up from the current ₹210–₹250.
- Land ownership rights for tea workers and their families through legal pattas (land leases).
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Addressing the crowd, ATTSU President Dhiraj Gowala said “Even after 78 years of independence, our community still struggles for fair wages, land, education, and dignity. The time for promises is over — action must come before the 2026 elections.”
Echoing the sentiment, ACMS Dibrugarh Secretary Nabin Chandra Keot called the demands “non-negotiable,” accusing the government of “using the tea community for electoral gains without delivering justice.”
Former Union Minister Paban Singh Ghatowar, a five-time MP from the tea belt, also extended support, urging the state government to “act immediately to avert a crisis.”
Authorities reported no violence, though schools were closed and traffic diverted throughout the day. Police maintained a tight vigil as the demonstration paralyzed tea production in several Upper Assam districts.
The rally follows a torchlight protest in Sadiya on September 28 and a mass gathering in Tinsukia on October 8, signaling an intensifying movement.
Tea workers — descendants of indentured laborers brought from central India in the 19th century — continue to endure low wages, poor living conditions, and lack of healthcare and education, despite Assam contributing over 50% of India’s tea production and generating $800 million in exports annually.
As the 2026 Assembly elections approach, the Dibrugarh rally has sent a clear warning — the tea tribes’ decades-long demands could become a decisive factor in reshaping Assam’s political landscape.
