Assam: Tea Garden Workers Stage Protest in Cachar Over Land Rights

Anger erupted in Assam’s Cachar district on Thursday as tea garden workers in Borkhola staged a vehement protest, accusing the administration of failing to honour promises made after their eviction for a proposed airport project.

More than 150 labour families were displaced from Doloo in Borkhola to make way for the construction of an airport. At the time of eviction, the government had assured the affected workers that they would be provided permanent housing along with legal land pattas as rehabilitation. However, as of today, many of those commitments remain unfulfilled.

According to the protesters, nearly 20 families are still without any houses, despite repeated appeals to the authorities. While some displaced families have been allotted homes, they allege that no land pattas have been issued to them so far, leaving their legal status uncertain and their future insecure.

“The administration gave us assurances when we were uprooted from our land. Today, many of us are still homeless, and even those who received houses have no land rights. We are being treated as if our lives and labour do not matter,” a protestor said.

Demanding immediate construction of houses for the remaining families and the issuance of land pattas to all rehabilitated workers, the protesters warned that the agitation would intensify if their demands continue to be ignored. They further stated that unless concrete action is taken at the earliest, a large-scale movement will be launched across the region.

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