Black Day Observance: Doloo Tea Estate Residents Rally Against Green Field Airport Land Aquisition

The Tea Tribe community residing in Doloo Tea Estate marked May 12 as a solemn occasion, commemorating the devastating event that took place two years ago when a huge number of tea plants were uprooted to make way for the Green Field Airport project.

The distressing incident occurred on May 12, 2022, as numerous JCB Excavators uprooted a vast number of tea plants, shocking the laborers of the area. This led to a massive protest that temporarily halted the operation.

Today, on May 12, 2024, marking the second anniversary of the event, locals gathered to observe Black Day, organized by Assam Majuri Sramik Union (AMSU) under the New Trend Union Initiative (NTUI). The day was filled with music, dance, and a solemn hoisting of a black flag as a reminder of the grievous loss suffered by the community.

AMSU has been vocal in their demand for the land to be restored to its previous state, where tea plants flourished, providing livelihoods for the laborers. A local resident expressed the sentiment that May 12 holds a significant place in their hearts, symbolizing the tragic event that occurred two years prior.

Approximately 1500 to 2000 people from the Tea Tribe community of Doloo Tea Estate participated in the observance, including a march to express their solidarity. The local resident informs that the recent Supreme Court order that temporarily halting the Green Field Airport project due to the lack of Environmental Clearance, brought relief to the community.

However, as per his statement the fear of unemployment looms large as the tea plantation remains uprooted, depriving the locals of their livelihood. The weakening of the estate has taken a toll on everyone dependent on the tea estate. While they do not oppose the Green Field Airport project, the community believes that active tea estates should not bear the brunt of land acquisition, instead inactive tea estates would be a much better choice for the project. They advocate for the revival of the garden to restore prosperity to the region.

Various placards and slogans during the observance conveyed the community’s demands for justice and restoration. The Supreme Court’s intervention has provided a glimmer of hope for the Tea Tribe community, as they continue their fight for their rights and livelihoods.