Guwahati, March 28: The Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association has issued a strong warning to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party ahead of the Assembly elections, cautioning that unresolved wage issues affecting tea garden workers could influence voting patterns.
The organisation alleged that labourers employed in estates under the Andrew Yule Company in Tingkhong and Rajgarh areas of Dibrugarh district have not received wages for four consecutive cycles, leading to severe distress within the tea tribe community.
AATSA said the continued delay in payments has fuelled resentment on the ground, accusing the state government of failing to take effective measures despite the seriousness of the situation. It indicated that if the issue remains unresolved, it may have direct electoral consequences, with the community likely to express its dissatisfaction at the ballot box.
The association also criticised what it described as attempts to divert attention from the core issue, alleging that certain BJP-linked local leaders have been spreading misinformation on social media to undermine its activities.
Denying allegations of engaging in questionable financial dealings with political figures, AATSA termed such claims baseless. It further clarified that a video currently circulating online is unrelated to its recent efforts, stating that the footage is several days old and predates its visits to the affected tea gardens.
According to the organisation, the video is being deliberately shared to create confusion among workers and damage its credibility at a sensitive time ahead of the elections.
