Child Labour Plagues Tinsukia Tea Gardens; Nearly 30 Children Rescued

In the tea gardens of various companies across Assam's Tinsukia district, child labour has been rampant for a long time. Despite existing policies, laws, and regulations, an alleged middleman network has been operating unchecked, exploiting child labourers extensively.

The Kordoiguri regional unit of the All Adivasi Students' Association of Assam reportedly seized four vehicles used to transport child labourers. These vehicles were carrying nearly 30 school-going children from several schools in the Doomdooma area. The vehicles were found to be operating in gross violation of all rules and safety norms, putting the children at significant risk.

According to allegations levelled, this middleman network not only transports the child workers under dangerous conditions but also pays them very low wages, embezzling the majority of the workers' rightful earnings. Moreover, these child labourers are often taken to neighboring Arunachal Pradesh to work under similarly hazardous conditions.

The students' body has condemned this exploitative practice and issued a stern warning to the middlemen to immediately cease such activities. The union has vowed to continue efforts to prevent the use of child labour and protect the rights and safety of children in the region’s tea gardens.

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