Voting in tea gardens after 8 years, 600 panels participate
- 98,000 workers will cast their votes.
- Voting will take place on November 29, from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
Graphics: Agamir Somoy
The Tea Workers' Union election is going to be held in 231 tea garden panchayets across the country with more than six hundred panels. A total of 98,000 workers will vote in this election on November 29. More than three and a half thousand candidates will compete. After the election date was announced Tuesday, an election atmosphere has descended among nearly 10 lakh tea workers.
According to the Tea Workers' Union, there are 167 main and 64 branch tea gardens in the country. Each garden has one panchayet. In these panchayets, a 15-member panel will be elected, including the president and general secretary. On the same day, votes will also be cast to elect the central president and general secretary and the leadership of the country's seven valleys.
Panels led by Ramvajan Koiri, Raju Goala, and Pankaj Kando are preparing to contest for the post of central president, while panels led by Nipen Pal and Paresh Kalindi are preparing for the post of general secretary. After the schedule is announced, leaders at the valley and panchayet levels will also declare their candidacies. Voting will continue from 8 am to 4 pm on November 29.
The seven valleys of the Tea Workers' Union are Laskarpur, Balisira, Monu-Dhalai, Longla, Juri, Sylhet, and Chattogram. Each valley has 25-30 garden panchayets under it. At the garden level, the panchayet represents the workers. In the central leadership election, two separate panels compete for the posts of president and general secretary.
In Habiganj district, there are 41 tea gardens, including main and branch gardens. After the announcement of the election date, an atmosphere of voting has emerged among workers across the district.
According to Khairun Akter, who led from the front in the movement for wage increase, the committees have become stagnant due to the absence of elections for eight years. If elections are held, competition for leadership will increase in realizing workers' rights.
Roni Goala, a tea worker of Daragaon Garden, said they want leadership in the election that will understand the sorrows and sufferings of the workers. They have many expectations regarding wage increase, regular pay, and their children's future.
