STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: After the untoward incident that took place in Tiok Tea Estate, many doctors working in the tea estates have resigned from their jobs. While some are criticizing the whole community after the unfortunate incident, The Sentinel talked with Assam Tea Tribes Students’ Association (ATTSA) general secretary Paban Bedia, to get a clearer picture about the initiatives that AATSA is taking to spread awareness to curb such incidents from happening in the state.
Paban Bedia said, “We are currently working on creating awareness to make the tea community conscious by having face-to-face conversations. Including Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sonitpur and Lakhimpur, we have covered almost 300 t0 400 estates and this will continue.”
Speaking about the reasons behind such gory incidents like the mob lynching of Dr Deben Dutta, Bedia said, “The tea garden people are never violent, they are just simple human beings. But, when it comes to requirement and bonus they become very sensitive. Because they have grown up hearing about the 20% bonus, when they hear that the bonus will not be awarded, it angers them automatically. Moreover, when they become needy and they can’t find any solution, their minds get displaced. We can say that when the requirements of the labourers do not get fulfilled by the management, they got provoked or instigated by some forces, and it indirectly leads to such incidents.”
Bedia further claimed, “We had an inquiry in the garden and we have come to know that he was a very good human being and there was no such reason of beating him till death. Dr. Deben Dutta was no way responsible. There are many retired doctors offering their services in the tea gardens. In some gardens there are no doctors also, management fails to provide additional staff. We have already taken initiative, so that we don’t have to witness similar incidents in the future. Actually, a revolution is needed in terms of educating them and the government has a responsibility towards this.”
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