Sanyukta Sangarsha Samity a unified group of trade union workers from the Alchemist Group originally owned by Trinmool Congress Rajya Sabha MP KD Singh yesterday gheraoed the Darjeeling DM Office.
For the past many months workers from Dhootrey, Balasun, Tongson, Sumripani, Peshok, Miling and Kalej Valley have continued to live in uncertainty over who actually owns the garden and who is expected to pay the workers their due. Since October of 2015 TMC MP KD Singh's Alchemist group has failed to pay the workers their wages, ration, bonus and gratuity on time, and in the midst of it all the Alchemist group said the company has been sold to a Hongkong based Trident Company. However, neither the Alchemist nor the Trident group are currently claiming ownership, and there is ambiguity surrounding which company is supposed to pay the workers their due.
Tired of requesting and pleading to the authorities, yesterday the workers gheraored the DM office with empty bowls demanding clarification and clearing of the dues.
The workers have taken strong exception of the fact that neither the GJM, nor the local MLA Amar Singh Rai or the Darjeeling MP SS Ahluwalia have spoken a word in favour of the workers.
It is tragic that when the workers arrived at the DM office, there was no one to listen to their plea, as the DM was away and no officer from the DM office bothered to listen to their woes. The workers however managed to submit a deputation to the ADM and demanded that their dues be cleared at the earliest.
The complete apathy and indifference towards the plight of the tea garden workers, not just on the part of TMC or Bengal government, but also on the part of GJM, local MLA and MP is appalling.
May be its high time that the people of Darjeeling supported the tea garden workers to ascertain their rights and fight for justice for our brothers and sisters in the tea gardens.
[Pics: Sriju Bal Tamang for TheDC]
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