‘Vikas for whom?’: Titabor tea workers rally for wage, warn of fallout in 2026 polls
The protesters accused the govt of focusing only on the land within tea estates while ignoring their plight;

Tea garden workers of Chungi Tea Estate staged a protest on Wednesday.
Jorhat, July 9: Tea garden workers of Chungi Tea Estate in Titabor gheroad the estate office, demanding fair wages and long-overdue entitlements.
The demonstration, led by the Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (Titabor Chungi Unit), witnessed the participation 200 workers chanting 'amar daabi mani louk' during a two-hour protest.
At the forefront of their demands was the implementation of the promised daily wage of Rs. 351. The protesters also called for the distribution of land pattas and the recognition of the tea community under the Scheduled Tribe (ST) category.
“We demand an increase in workers’ wages, we need land pattas, and we want ST status. The government promised a wage hike in 2014, but we are still waiting. They speak of ‘vikas’ (development), but where is it? There is no development for tea garden workers,” said a member of the Titabor Tea Workers’ Union.
The protesters accused the government of focusing only on the land within tea estates while ignoring the plight of the workers who sustain the industry. They also criticised the gap between political rhetoric and reality.
“Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah once said that tea workers are in the hearts of the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister, but in reality, we are left out in the cold,” a protester added.
The workers urged the authorities to take immediate and concrete action to address their concerns.
They also issued a stern warning — if their rightful demands are not met, the ruling party will face consequences in the 2026 Assam Assembly elections.