Assault on Doctor & Officials of Dikom TE Evokes Protests

DIBRUGARH/GOLAGHAT: The assaults on Dr Prabin Thakur and other officials of Russel India’s Dikom Tea Estate on May 6 have sparked quite a row with protests held condemning the incident even as 17 tea labourers of the tea estate were apprehended by the police on Saturday over the incident.

In response to an appeal given by the State branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) to carry out protests against the assault incidents, doctors of Golaghat staged an hour-long sit-in at Swahid Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital on Saturday. Criticizing the incident, the doctors’ body of Golaghat district has demanded the Chief Minister and State Health Minister to ensure adequate security for working doctors, to take initiatives to stop attacks on doctors and to take stringent action against the accused who were involved in the assault case. On May 10 also, protests were staged by the IMA members in Tinsukia demanding more security for doctors employed in the tea estates across the State. The doctors wore black badges during the protest.

As per sources, the police suspect more individuals to be involved in the attack on the doctor, the pharmacist and the manager of the tea estate over the death of a woman tea-leaf plucker named Jhalo Surjan in thunderstorm.

Speaking to The Sentinel, the manager of this tea estate said, “The main culprits behind the atrocious and unwarranted attack were resident non-workers, not the local garden labourers. In fact, the local labourers have come out in complete support of the management, helping the police to hunt down the miscreants. Such a high degree of loyalty coming from them was unknown thus far.”

Sensing the possibility of a conspiracy to sully the reputation of the tea estate, he added that “since all employees were provided with bank accounts, the indigenous money-lenders, finding their business getting slackened, might also be involved.”

The manager also hinted at “the possible involvement of the ones dealing in spurious liquor, as the garden had started a strong drive against such liquor and eliminated their supply within the premises.” He also said that “the lockout, which was imposed on the day of the attacks, was decided to be lifted on Monday during a meeting held with the labourers on Saturday after they demanded the same.”

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