The brutal practice of the British continues to this day in the tea plantations of India in terms of sourcing labour. You will remember, if you had the right kind of teacher, that the Brits tried all the tricks of the trade to generate a proletariat for the tea gardens. In the end, and adopting the lessons from sugar, rubber and indigo, they settled for migrant labour from other parts of India. This allowed the Brits to impose the relations of production that suited them.
Migrant labour is still good for exploitation to this day. And sadly trafficked child labour also.
Not less than 10,000 people, mostly children are trafficked into the Northeast with a good number smuggled in from Bangladesh, Nepal and other South East Asian countries, surveys by NGOs reveal.
Most of those trafficked are then engaged as cheap labour in coal mines of Meghalaya, tea gardens in Assam and prostitution.
3 Responses for "Bangladeshi Child Labour in Assam Tea Gardens"
Hi, I just want to say that it is not true. Come to Assam and have a look at the tea gardens. All the garden labors are from the ‘adivashi’ community, which is the lifeline of tea gardens. I have never seen any Bangladeshi people or child in Assam tea garden. And interesting point is that the local labors will never allow to use Bangladeshi. They have own associations to fight for their rights and they take it by any means.
But the truth is that illegal Bangladeshi migrants are invading the lands and resources of local people in Assam. First they willingly works in crop fields and then starts their own community with atleast 10 child/family. They engage their own children in works and expands their field. This is how their population crossed the million mark in Assam.
Now local people realized that it is already too late. So, they are trying to wake up central govt to take some actions. But, who cares about Assam or NE India? As you linked to TOI, a national paper, there is hardly any chance of publishing the truth. They don’t even cover a news when many people dies in bomb blasts. But they do publishes how a minister attended a marriage of film star’s son! Nonsense India… going to become superpower! huh..
You may or may not publish this, but at least do some research about what I wrote.
Thanks.
I have not read the Impulse (NGO) report as yet. The Times of India report only gives an aggregate figure for trafficking and for the economic activities engaged in. I would like to see the breakdown of the figures for Bangladeshi trafficked children as per work in tea (?), mines, prostitution etc.
its a truth that bangladeshi migration and there children in labour become a serious problem for assam.But bangladeshi labour in tea garden is not true.the tea garden community peoples works there and they have a record of all permanent and casual workers.Still tea gardens are free from bangladeshi workers wheather there is a man,woman or child.hope more fact will come out in further study.thanks.
darshana
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