Four-day deadline: pay the dues or face a bigger movement

Workers from Hantapara, Dhumchipara and Garganda tea gardens, along with people affected by the proposed land-port project at Torsa Tea Garden, took to the streets on Tuesday, 22 September, seeking to place their long-pending demands directly before Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari.

The two groups began separate peaceful padayatras in the Dooars on the same day. While the Hantapara workers are demanding payment of long-pending wages and other dues, residents affected by the proposed land-port project at Torsa are demanding protection of their land, homes and rights.

The message from both groups was clear: repeated assurances are no longer enough. They want concrete action.

Four days for action at Hantapara

Led by the Paschim Banga Cha Majoor Samity (PBCMS), workers began their padayatra from Hantapara. Their demands include payment of three to four fortnights of unpaid wages, the 10% bonus for 2025, leave wages for 2025, PF dues pending since 2023 and gratuity dues pending for nearly 20 years.

Workers said they have repeatedly received assurances from the administration and other authorities, but the promised payments have not materialised.

According to the workers, assurances were given at Duars Kanya and Shramik Bhavan. They were subsequently told at Hantapara Gate that their dues would be paid by 17 September.

That deadline has passed.

On 22 September, the workers were still waiting for their money.

The police stop Hantapara padayatra

The Hantapara padayatra was stopped by the Madarihat police, who requested the workers to suspend their march. The police said that the memorandum would be forwarded to the Chief Minister through the police administration and the Superintendent of Police.

The workers, however, said they had received assurances several times in the past and wanted to place their demands directly before the Chief Minister.

Following discussions with the administration, the workers agreed to suspend the march on their own terms and gave the administration four days to act.

They warned that if concrete action is not taken within four days on the unpaid wages and other outstanding dues, a much larger movement will follow.

PBCMS Central Committee member Kirsan Kharia said that if no concrete action is taken within four days, the management and administration would be responsible for the consequences of a larger movement.

Torsa workers demand protection of land and rights

A separate padayatra was organised on the same day by people affected by the proposed land-port project at Torsa Tea Garden. Led by the Torsa Bagan Jamin Bachao Samiti, the protesters began their march from their protest site with the intention of submitting a memorandum to the Chief Minister.

Members of the Adivasi and Gorkha communities have been sitting in protest for the past 61 days. Their demands centre on the protection of their land, homes and livelihood.

The principal demand of the committee is that the land affected by the proposed land-port project be excluded from the project and returned to the affected people. The protesters have also demanded that the project be shifted to an alternative location so that families living in Torsa Tea Garden are not forced to leave their homes and land.

The committee has sought recognition of the affected people's historical residence, possession and livelihood-related rights, along with pattas and clear ownership rights. It has also opposed any forced eviction until questions relating to land and rehabilitation are properly resolved.

Torsa padayatra also stopped

The Jaigaon police stopped the Torsa padayatra. The protesters told the police that they had been sitting peacefully at the protest site for 61 days without any administrative officer coming forward to resolve their problems.

They said that since the Chief Minister was in the area, they wanted to meet him directly and place their demands before him.

Following discussions, the Officer-in-Charge of Jaigaon police station assured the protesters that their memorandum would be forwarded to the Chief Minister through the Superintendent of Police and that necessary efforts would be made to address their problems.

The committee subsequently handed over the memorandum, suspended the padayatra and returned to the protest site to continue their agitation.

Questions over police questioning of activists

The Paschim Banga Chai Majdoor Committee also raised allegations of police questioning and detention of activists and local leaders ahead of the padayatras.

According to the committee, activist Kiran Sharma was detained at Birpara Police Station from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. PBCMS Secretary Hemlata Beck, along with other local women leaders from Hantapara and Dhumchipara, were also repeatedly questioned.

The committee further said that Vinod Oraon, Bilas and Miriam from Torsa were questioned.

Despite these developments, workers and affected residents in both locations proceeded with their demands peacefully. They maintained that reaching the Chief Minister through democratic means and presenting their demands is their right.

The Hantapara workers have now given the administration four days to act. At Torsa, the protesters have returned to their protest site and continued their struggle for land and rights.

For both groups, the immediate demand remains action rather than another assurance: workers are seeking payment of their outstanding dues, while land-affected families are demanding recognition and protection of their rights.

The padayatras may have been stopped, but the underlying demands remain unresolved.