Tea garden workers in Assam's Sonitpur Lok Sabha constituency, situated in Biswanath district, have raised their voices to address longstanding grievances. They accuse political parties of exploiting them solely as a vote bank during elections, promising solutions that never materialize post-polling.
With over 16.25 lakh eligible voters in Sonitpur Lok Sabha constituency, a significant portion hails from the tea garden regions. This constituency comprises nine assembly segments.
Rina Tosa, a mother of three girls and a tea garden laborer from the Shakomato tea garden in Biswanath, continues to grapple with financial hardships after losing her husband a few years ago. Earning a mere Rs 1310 per week, she expresses frustration over unmet promises and the lack of government support despite applying for various schemes.
"During the election, the political parties, and candidates make many promises, but after the election, they forget everything. We are facing a lot of problems. I am a widow and I didn't get anything. I am a mother of three girls. I filled up the forms for many schemes in the last 4-5 years, but I didn't get anything. I am a daily wage labourer and get Rs 1310 weekly as wage. I get ration from the government, but we are facing many problems. I request the government to provide land patta to us," she said.
Bhanu Goala, another tea garden worker, echoes similar sentiments, highlighting the stark reality of surviving on meager wages despite assurances from political parties during election campaigns.
"Daily we get Rs 230 and Rs 1310 per week as wage. I have a 6-member family. How can we live with just Rs 1310, but we have no option because we are tea garden workers? During the election time, the political parties, and candidates assure us that they would increase the daily wage, but it never happened. We demand to increase our daily wage to Rs 600 per day. After the election, the political parties, and candidates forget all things and our living style remains the same. Every year the same thing is happening. The candidates and political parties got our votes, but they have failed to resolve our problems. Price hike of essential commodities also hit us,” Bhanu said.
Manju Munda, also employed in the Shakomato tea garden, sheds light on the daily struggles faced by workers due to insufficient wages and the rising cost of essential commodities. She emphasizes the urgent need for government intervention to improve their living conditions.
"How can we live with this wage? We are facing massive problems. Per kg rice price is Rs 40, and we have to buy our clothes, medicine, and spend on children's education. The government should think about our problems. During the election time, political parties have made many promises, but the reality is nothing. The government has given us something, but many of us have yet to get it. I am still living in a broken house. I have a five-member family,"
As Assam gears up for voting in three phases on April 19, April 26, and May 7, Sonitpur constituency will participate in the initial phase alongside Dibrugarh, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, and Kaziranga.
The upcoming Lok Sabha elections, spanning seven phases starting April 19, will witness the participation of voters from across the country. The results will be revealed through the counting process slated for June 4.
