Members of SMSS and SSMSS

Assam

HRDA has issued an urgent appeal to the National Human Rights Commission of India on 19^th December regarding the firing at the labourers, police attack, detention and custodial torture of Sah Shramil Mukti Sangram Samiti and Satra Mukti Sangram Samiti by Golaghat police in Assam.

The management of the Bogidhola Tea Estate has not paid the gratuity and pension to its workers for the past 35 years. The workers were not getting their wages, bonus and other facilities like water, health benefits, etc. there was a conflict like situation between the owner of the Tea garden and the workers. When the management failed to pay the bonus during Durga Puja festival the situation worsened. One of the owners Sameer Roy visited the Labour Commissioner’s Office and he gave a written commitment to the workers to pay the 16% bonus. When they failed to keep their commitment around 30 workers went to the bungalow to demand their dues. The owner fired indiscriminately on the peacefully protesting workers from the ground floor and top floor where around 12 labourers including a 15-year-old boy was also critically injured.  

The members of the SMSS and SSMSS staged a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office and submitted their memorandum to the ADC. While the talks were still on, the DSP intervened and accused the members for violating the prohibitory orders under section 144 CrPC and suddenly used forced against them.

HRDA prayed for thorough investigation and to take immediate actions on the perpetrators of the case.