DARJEELING,:
A 12-hour strike called by various trade unions over the demand for a 20% Puja
bonus for tea garden workers paralyzed large parts of Darjeeling today. The
strike saw widespread participation in most of the hill areas except Kalimpong,
where shops remained open and vehicles continued to ply excluding the tea
garden-dominated Gorubathan block.
The
strike was held after the fourth round of tripartite talks at Shramik Bhawan in
Siliguri ended in a stalemate on Sunday. Trade unions held firm on their demand
for a 20% bonus, while tea garden managements were only willing to offer 13%.
The deadlock led to the strike being called late Sunday evening, with eight
trade unions that were present in the meeting including those affiliated with Gorkha
Janmukti Morcha, Hamro Party, Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists and
Gorkha National Liberation Front. Interestingly, Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik
Morcha and Trinamool Congress, which generally oppose strikes, were also seen
on the streets today.
Chief
Minister Mamata Banerjee, speaking in Siliguri today, reiterated her opposition
to strikes in Bengal. “We do not support the strike. Whatever their demands
are, they can be discussed in a meeting with the Labour Commissioner. I cannot
interfere,” she stated. Despite this stance, several TMC leaders in Darjeeling expressed
support for the workers' demands, though they did not explicitly back the
strike.
In
the hills, the strike saw complete shutdowns with shops closed and vehicles including
state-run NBSTC buses staying off the roads. Only emergency vehicles were
allowed to ply. Even the iconic Darjeeling Himalayan Railway suspended its toy
train services, cancelling tourist bookings. Schools also closed with students
sent home early in the morning. While government offices remained open,
attendance was sparse due to transportation difficulties.
Road
blockades were reported in several areas including Kurseong, Sonada and Tung.
Tea garden workers were seen actively participating, especially in regions like
Tukdah, Rohini and Gorubathan, where they blocked roads in solidarity with the
strike. Gorubathan, the only tea-producing area in Kalimpong district, was the
exception in an otherwise open town with hundreds of vehicles halted due to the
blockade.
CPRM
trade union leader Sunil Rai said, “We had declared this 12-hour strike for the
entire hills today, but unfortunately there was no good response in
Kalimpong. The reason could be that it
is not a tea garden belt but the people there should understand that if tea
garden workers do not get proper bonus, it will impact the local economy. They
should have understood and closed their shops.”
Rai
also warned that today’s strike is only the beginning of a series of protests.
“From tomorrow, workers will attend gate meetings for three days, refraining
from work,” he said adding that they will decide future course of action after
consulting with other unions.
Darjeeling
MP Raju Bista criticized the State government’s handling of the issue, stating,
“It is unfortunate that the Chief Minister who is in North Bengal refused to
intervene in support of tea garden workers. The strike was a last resort after
the government ignored their plight.”
