Workers Gherao Duflating Estate Office in Titabar Over Wage Suppression

Hundreds of tea garden workers at the Duflating Tea Estate in Titabar, Jorhat, staged a fiery protest on Monday, accusing the management of years of systemic exploitation and wage denial. The demonstration, spearheaded by the All Adivasi Students’ Association of Assam (AASAA), Titabar Regional Committee, saw workers surround the estate’s administrative office, demanding justice and immediate redress of their grievances.

The workers, many of whom have served the garden for years, alleged that the management has routinely underpaid them, with several being forced to work for just Rs 125 per day—less than half of the government-mandated minimum wage of Rs 251. Protesters also claimed they were often arbitrarily suspended or reassigned to unrelated tasks without consent.

“The management has made a mockery of workers’ rights,” said a senior AASAA member during the protest. “We’ve been forced to take to the streets because the Duflating Tea Estate has continuously exploited its workforce. If any worker dares to raise their voice, they’re punished or suspended. This is not just exploitation—this is systematic suppression.”

The AASAA leader further alleged that internal malpractice and intimidation tactics are being used by the management to silence dissent and keep workers in a cycle of fear and poverty. “We strongly condemn this. The problems of the tea workers must be resolved immediately. If the authorities fail to act within seven days, we will escalate this agitation across the region,” he warned.

The protest was not just a demand for higher wages but a cry for dignity, rights, and an end to what many described as "plantation-era exploitation" that persists in Assam's tea belt.

AASAA leaders have issued a stern ultimatum to the garden authorities, threatening a widespread and militant movement if the “oppressive practices” do not end.

The Duflating unrest is the latest in a wave of protests sweeping through Assam’s tea gardens, where workers—who have powered the state’s economy for generations—are now demanding long-overdue reforms, fair compensation, and humane treatment.

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