Death stalks open garden - two teenagers die in 24 hours

Jaigaon, Feb. 27: Two teenagers of the struggling Bharnobari Tea Estate have died in the past 24 hours even as workers continue to succumb to diseases because of lack of medical attention in the garden.

One of the two girls, Urmila Kharia, however, had committed suicide. The other, Rima Oraon, had been suffering from fever for the past one week. She died at 6.30am today.

“There is no doctor in our garden. We could not afford a private doctor because we have not been paid wages for the past two weeks nor have we got our rations for 10 fortnights,” said Rima’s mother Sukurmoni, a garden worker. Her husband, Milu, is unemployed.

The Telegraph had yesterday reported the plight of the workers of Bharnobari, which, although open, had not paid the salary for January and might also default on February’s wages.

On the 19th of this month, a 26-year-old pregnant woman, Anastasia Oraon, died following complications. Her husband could not take her to Siliguri where she had been referred to by the Hasimara central hospital. “She died the day after I brought her home from the Hasimara hospital. I did not have the money to take her to Siliguri. She was six months pregnant,” said Nelson Oraon, the husband.

This morning, Urmila’s widowed mother, along with other garden workers and relatives, started from Soreng in West Sikkim, after cremating the body there. Urmila was found hanging in a room of a house in Timberbong where she had worked as a domestic help for a school teacher.

Raju Biswakarma, one of those who went to Timberbong to claim Urmila’s body, said over the phone that the 18-year-old girl had last come to the garden on December 24 on a seven-day visit. “After that, she returned to the house of the teacher, D.M. Subba, on January 1. She was forced to work there to supplement the family’s income. We do not see any foul play in her death,” Raju said.

Soreng police said Urmila committed suicide around 2pm yesterday, while Subba was in school and his wife was away attending a wedding ceremony.

“Subba returned home later in the afternoon and found the girl hanging from the ceiling. We have handed over her body after post-mortem to her relatives,” an officer of the Soreng police station said.

The condition of the other workers in Bharnobari, 10km from here, too, was serious. Sirnosh Kheria, 50, has been suffering from tuberculosis and does not have the means to get treated. “After the garden reopened on April 28, the doctor has not joined work. Since we are going without wages, the women go to the forest to collect roots and edible leaves so that we can survive,” the ailing man said.

Madan Sarki, a Citu leader and the former convener of the operating and management committee, said the workers had not been paid since January and no ration had been distributed for the past four-and-a-half months.

“The management has hung up a notice that wages for January will be paid between February 28 and March 2, but the manager, Jayanta Banerjee, left the garden 15 days ago and has not yet returned,” Sarki said.

Sarki had earlier alleged that from June, the employers’ share of the provident fund had not been paid and from September, the employees’ share had not been deposited.

R.R. Sundas, the block development officer of Kalchini, said he would soon convene a meeting to discuss the problems plaguing Bharnobari.Jaigaon, Feb. 27: Two teenagers of the struggling Bharnobari Tea Estate have died in the past 24 hours even as workers continue to succumb to diseases because of lack of medical attention in the garden.

One of the two girls, Urmila Kharia, however, had committed suicide. The other, Rima Oraon, had been suffering from fever for the past one week. She died at 6.30am today.

“There is no doctor in our garden. We could not afford a private doctor because we have not been paid wages for the past two weeks nor have we got our rations for 10 fortnights,” said Rima’s mother Sukurmoni, a garden worker. Her husband, Milu, is unemployed.

The Telegraph had yesterday reported the plight of the workers of Bharnobari, which, although open, had not paid the salary for January and might also default on February’s wages.

On the 19th of this month, a 26-year-old pregnant woman, Anastasia Oraon, died following complications. Her husband could not take her to Siliguri where she had been referred to by the Hasimara central hospital. “She died the day after I brought her home from the Hasimara hospital. I did not have the money to take her to Siliguri. She was six months pregnant,” said Nelson Oraon, the husband.

This morning, Urmila’s widowed mother, along with other garden workers and relatives, started from Soreng in West Sikkim, after cremating the body there. Urmila was found hanging in a room of a house in Timberbong where she had worked as a domestic help for a school teacher.

Raju Biswakarma, one of those who went to Timberbong to claim Urmila’s body, said over the phone that the 18-year-old girl had last come to the garden on December 24 on a seven-day visit. “After that, she returned to the house of the teacher, D.M. Subba, on January 1. She was forced to work there to supplement the family’s income. We do not see any foul play in her death,” Raju said.

Soreng police said Urmila committed suicide around 2pm yesterday, while Subba was in school and his wife was away attending a wedding ceremony.

“Subba returned home later in the afternoon and found the girl hanging from the ceiling. We have handed over her body after post-mortem to her relatives,” an officer of the Soreng police station said.

The condition of the other workers in Bharnobari, 10km from here, too, was serious. Sirnosh Kheria, 50, has been suffering from tuberculosis and does not have the means to get treated. “After the garden reopened on April 28, the doctor has not joined work. Since we are going without wages, the women go to the forest to collect roots and edible leaves so that we can survive,” the ailing man said.

Madan Sarki, a Citu leader and the former convener of the operating and management committee, said the workers had not been paid since January and no ration had been distributed for the past four-and-a-half months.

“The management has hung up a notice that wages for January will be paid between February 28 and March 2, but the manager, Jayanta Banerjee, left the garden 15 days ago and has not yet returned,” Sarki said.

Sarki had earlier alleged that from June, the employers’ share of the provident fund had not been paid and from September, the employees’ share had not been deposited.

R.R. Sundas, the block development officer of Kalchini, said he would soon convene a meeting to discuss the problems plaguing Bharnobari.