Assam polls: Parties sell old promises with renewed vigour to tea tribes

Guwahati: In poll-bound Assam, political parties are intensifying efforts to secure the support of the influential tea tribe, a voting bloc that could decide outcomes in dozens of constituencies.

With around 35 lakh voters, the community holds sway in over 35 seats, primarily in eastern Assam, and can influence results in at least 10 more in the 126-member Assembly.

Their longstanding demands, including Scheduled Tribe (ST) status, higher daily wages, and land rights, have once again taken centre stage in the political discourse.

The ruling BJP has highlighted its welfare measures over the past decade, claiming significant improvements in the living conditions of tea garden workers.

The party has particularly emphasised its move to grant land rights within tea estates.

“The community is no longer treated as second-class citizens. From education to infrastructure, tangible progress has been made,” said Dulen Nayak, president of the BJP Tea Morcha, pointing to initiatives such as schools, roads, and welfare schemes.

The BJP also underlined wage hikes during its tenure, from Rs 126 in 2016 to Rs 280 in the Brahmaputra Valley, and from Rs 105 to Rs 258 in Barak Valley, and has promised to raise wages to Rs 500 in phases if re-elected.

Additional measures include job quotas, reserved seats in medical colleges, and promotion of cultural heritage like the Jhumoir dance.

Contesting these claims, the opposition Congress argued that improvements have not translated into meaningful change on the ground.

Atuwa Munda, president of the Assam Cha Mazdoor Adivasi Congress, dismissed the land rights initiative as superficial.

He alleged that the recently distributed “digital pattas” lack legal validity and due process, warning they could create future disputes between workers and tea garden managements.