‘Tea workers to be weaned away from divisive politics’

The convener of the Coordination Committee of Tea Plantation Workers, West Bengal, Mr Chitta Dey today said that the platform would organise a convention of the tea workers of the Dooars, Terai and the Darjeeling Hills to ward them against any divisive movement.

According to Mr Dey, the ongoing political turmoil in the Dooars, Terai and the Darjeeling Hills has hampered the tea plantation workers most. “Many of the tea plantation workers have been victimised as they participated in the movement. Houses of many trade union leaders have been torched during the movement. The workers have been exploited by some divisive power and by the demand of a separate state, disrupting peace and harmony in the region,” he said.

The leader also said that the workers’ unions have failed to generate awareness among the tea workers against such divisive powers. “The unions needed to organise small group meetings to aware the workers of the problem. They failed to perform their role. Under the circumstances, the Coordination Committee, which is a platform of 17 workers’ unions, met in Jalpaiguri today and resolved to organise the convention,” he added.