Guwahati: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) working president Roselina Tirkey launched a scathing attack on the BJP government, alleging it has “gravely betrayed” the tea tribe and Adivasi communities of Assam.
At a press conference held at Rajiv Bhawan, Tirkey presented what she described as “data-backed allegations,” asserting that the Narendra Modi-led central government had failed to deliver on its promise of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for these communities.
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The BJP, she reminded, had pledged to fulfill this promise within 100 days of assuming power.
Tirkey highlighted the discriminatory policy in Assam, noting that while Adivasi and tea tribe communities in other states enjoy ST status, Assam continues to exclude them.
She accused the BJP of repeatedly “deceiving” these communities with “false promises in return for votes.” Joining her at the press conference were former MLA Raju Sahu, Etowa Munda, and youth leader Pranjal Ghatowar, all prominent figures from the tea community.
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Tirkey underscored the severe lack of basic amenities in Assam’s tea garden-dominated areas, stating that the Adivasi population continues to suffer from inadequate healthcare, education, infrastructure, and economic security.
She specifically emphasized the insecurity faced by women and girl children, citing incidents of rape and violence, and concluded that the tea tribe population in Assam lives under “extreme uncertainty.”
Youth leader Pranjal Ghatowar alleged consistent “cheating” of Adivasi and tea tribe youth in education and employment by the government.
He claimed that many young individuals have been forced to migrate out of Assam due to a dearth of job opportunities, leading to tragic outcomes. Ghatowar further criticized the government for prioritizing infrastructure like school buildings over the provision of adequate teachers.
He accused Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of using “emotional rhetoric to deceive the tea tribe,” while, in reality, denying them socio-economic upliftment.
He also alleged that the government’s practice of transferring “small sums of money into bank accounts during elections” reduces the tea tribe vote bank to “mere election-season tokens.”
Former MLA Raju Sahu presented a grim picture of the tea workers’ health, accusing the BJP of pushing them into malnutrition and anemia, with the average worker’s body weight now reportedly falling below 50 kilograms, rendering them unfit to donate blood.
Sahu also raised serious allegations regarding land use, accusing the government of amending laws to allow 10% of tea garden land for non-agricultural purposes.
He claimed that many ministers and MLAs are illicitly acquiring these lands for personal business ventures, alleging a “plot to sell and destroy Assam’s tea gardens and betray the lakhs of Adivasi families settled in these areas.”
Providing specific examples, Sahu stated that renowned companies such as Warren Tea Limited, Apeejay Assam, and Assam Frontier have been compelled to sell off their tea estates. He specifically alleged that 6,000 bighas of land from the Sukanpukhuri and Kachujan tea gardens in Tinsukia district have been purchased by individuals “close to the Chief Minister,” with plans to use 10% (approximately 600 bighas) for commercial ventures.
He estimated that these 600 bighas, if sold at ?3 crore per bigha, could generate ?1,800 crore, leading him to assert that the people of Assam now understand “who the Chief Minister is trying to make rich by selling tea garden land.”
Sahu also questioned the efficacy of the BJP’s “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” scheme in tea garden areas. He cited a disturbing incident involving the alleged rape of a Class VIII girl from Kattani village, Tinsukia, by BJP leader Samudra Roy.
Sahu claimed that despite two years passing, Roy has not been arrested due to his political connections, and the victim’s mother, Budhuni Prasad, was reportedly threatened and forced to commit suicide. According to Sahu, this incident serves as proof of the Chief Minister’s purported lack of genuine care for the tea tribe community.
Etowa Munda, another tea community leader, contrasted the current situation with the Congress rule, stating that tea tribe and Adivasi communities benefited from multiple welfare schemes, which he claimed are now being curtailed under the BJP government.
He accused the government of “betraying” workers with “empty promises” regarding wages, scholarships, drinking water, and healthcare.
Munda concluded by declaring that under the leadership of APCC President Gaurav Gogoi, the tea tribe community is now “united and ready to fight against BJP’s corruption and injustice.”
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