Chongtong Tea Estate worker commits suicide

A retired garden worker committed suicide in the wee hours today at this closed tea estate, accusing the garden owner, in the suicide note, for his death.

Baburam Dewan (62) was found hanging from the tea shed early this morning, the suicide note clipped to his coat. Workers did not allow the body to be removed until Press reporters from Darjeeling, around 25 km from here, reached the spot around 11 a.m. Angry workers shouted slogans against the “owner”, Mr Ajit Agrawal (Most of the tea garden owners are based in Kolkata - about 700 km away from Darjeeling).

The district administration, which had allegedly failed to bring the former to reconciliation meetings, was also the target of workers’ ire. Relief distribution in form of two kilogram of rice and Rs 50 per family each day was started three days ago by the authorities at the garden. The management had to virtually abandon the garden when the workers refused to accept a reduction in wages last month. Demanding the “immediate arrest” of the owner, trade unions and Opposition political parties have called for a bandh in the Hills tomorrow. Dewan in his suicide note also “warned” that if the administration failed to take any action some more of his friends would be “ready to follow his example”. The possibility of more suicides caused police to scamper about the garden today to find others who may have entered into a suspected suicide pact. While the district magistrate Mr Aariz Aftab said he had taken up the demand for the owner’s arrest with police, Mr Agrawal said he had already resigned from the directorship of the East India Produce Pvt Ltd a month back. “I have nothing to do with the tea garden anymore.”

Source > The Statesman