Indigenous Tea Workers Protest in Nagaon Over Unmet Demands

Indigenous tea workers staged a three-hour sit-in strike at Kathiatoli Chowk in Nagaon on Sunday, demanding government action on long-standing issues affecting the community. The protesters called for the inclusion of all indigenous tea workers in scheduled tribe lists, distribution of land pattas for encroached lands, allocation of land for the landless, and payment of a minimum wage of ₹661 per day.

The demonstration, organized at the busy Kathiatoli intersection, saw workers peacefully occupying the area to highlight their grievances. Protest leaders warned that if the Assam government does not respond with a concrete decision by 25 November, the organization will escalate to a massive statewide movement.

Speaking to reporters, one protester said: "Today we are forced to protest just to make our demands heard. It is sad because we are also citizens of Assam—the indigenous people of this land. Our contribution to Assam's economy is enormous. The revenue from tea gardens fuels both state and central government coffers. Yet our ST status demands remain unmet for decades. Tea workers are not receiving fair wages, and this is why indigenous communities continue to lag behind."

The protest highlights the ongoing struggles of Assam’s indigenous tea worker community, whose labor underpins a significant portion of the state’s economy. 

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