Assam: Tea Workers' Union threatens government with election boycott over unfulfilled promises

The political landscape in Assam is witnessing a brewing storm as the All Adivasi Students’ Union (AASU) rallies against the ruling BJP, threatening to block the party from entering tea garden areas in the upcoming bypolls, BTR (Bodoland Territorial Region) elections, and the 2026 Assembly elections. 

Recently, under the directives of the AASU, a large-scale protest was organized by the Sonitpur Asai unit in Tezpur. The union warned of a robust campaign in tea gardens, slums, and residential lines to oust the BJP in the forthcoming elections. 

The crux of the issue revolves around a number of promises that the BJP had made to the tea tribes. Among the core demands were the tribalization of the tea tribe community, granting of land pattas (land rights), and an increase in the minimum wages of tea workers—demands that the state government has failed to deliver on despite repeated assurances. The workers and their representatives now feel that they have been reduced to a mere vote bank, with their socio-economic issues being ignored once the elections are over.

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The anger among the Adivasi community has intensified as they accuse the BJP-led government of deceit and called them 'liars'. The tribal communities the union and its supporters believe that the government’s inability to address their concerns is a clear indication that the tea tribes have been used solely for electoral gains.

The tribalization of the tea tribes remains a pressing issue. It is a demand that aims to recognize the tea community as a distinct tribal group, which would confer upon them a range of legal and economic benefits, including affirmative action policies. The failure to recognize this demand has left the tea tribe community in a vulnerable position, with limited opportunities for social and economic advancement.

Similarly, the matter of land pattas has been a long-standing concern. Tea workers, many of whom have lived on tea estates for generations, do not own the land they inhabit. The promise to provide land pattas would have granted them a sense of security and ownership, but the delay in this process has only added to their frustration.

Moreover, the issue of wages remains a critical concern. Despite promises of wage hikes, tea workers in Assam continue to receive one of the lowest wage rates in the country. This disparity in income has kept them trapped in a cycle of poverty, further exacerbating their grievances. The failure to deliver a fair wage has been seen as another broken promise that the community will no longer tolerate.

With the bypolls, BTR elections, and the 2026 Assembly elections approaching, the AASU and its allies are gearing up to challenge the BJP’s stronghold in the tea garden regions. They have made it clear that they intend to take all necessary measures to ensure the BJP is held accountable for its perceived betrayal. The threat to ban the BJP from campaigning in the tea garden areas is not just a symbolic gesture but a reflection of the deep-seated anger and disillusionment that is brewing among the tea tribes.