Gherao by Paper Mill Employees in Front of MLA Dilip Paul's Residence; Chief Minister Sonowal Gives Assurance Over Phone

It has been four years since the Cachar and the Nagaon Paper Mills were shut down. Employees have been deprived of their salaries for years now. So far, a total of 80 employees of the two paper mills have lost their lives due to the aforementioned reason. To pay respect to those 80 lost souls and also convey their message to the government, the paper mill workers decided to organise a peaceful candlelight procession. But that too was blocked by the administration citing security measures.

Then they decided to sit and gherao the houses of the people’s representatives in the Valley until they listen to their woes. Accordingly, they appeared infront of MLA Dilip Kumar Paul’s house on Tuesday morning. The MLA of Silchar saw this and came out on his own, offered them to sit, talked to them and tried to contact Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal while in their presence. However, the Chief Minister did not answer then as he was busy. Later, the Chief Minister called up Dilip Kumar Paul and assured him that he would listen to the problems of the employees.

The MLA said, “Chief Minister wants to know what the demands of the paper mill workers are. At present, our first goal is to settle their long-overdue salaries. Later, he will take steps to recover the paper mills with the help of Central Government. But it’s a long process. We’re committed to being by the side of the paper mill employees because they are suffering due to this shutdown.”

The Joint Action Committee of Recognised Union (JACRU), Nagaon and Cachar Paper Mills, the HPC Paper Mill Revival Action Committee and the families of the paper mill workers resolved to gherao peacefully the residences of every elected representative of the Barak Valley. It started on Tuesday morning with an agitation infront of MLA Dilip Kumar Paul’s house. Issuing a statement in the regard, the paper mill workers said, “There are around three lakh unemployed youths in Cachar district. The reopening of the paper mills will, directly and indirectly, provide employment opportunities to around two lakh youths of this valley. If so many people can find employment through just one industry, then why isn’t the government doing it? We are not getting paid year after year, we are getting this ‘reward’ even after giving so much of the time from our lives to the service of the paper mill. We have tried for many years to get our word out to everyone. But our people’s representatives have been playing a silent role in this regard. So we have decided that as long as they do not listen to us, we will sit in front of their house and agitate.”

They went on further to say, “Year after year, we’re getting deprived of our wages. Rather than killing us inch by inch this way, it’s better they shoot us dead publicly. When our fate is to accept defeat at the hands of the government and die, then why die slowly out of starvation? The government can finish the job by shooting us in public. That way we too would get rid off this problem.” However, after receiving assurances from the Chief Minister, they postponed the agitation and went back home.

They said that they have paused the protest for now to honour the promise assured to them, but their protest has not ended there. If the government does not keep their word, they will continue their protest like this. There will also be a religious mourning procession on February 11 to end the unfinished candle rally.

“A candlelight procession was held on January 25 in memory of those 80 dead employees of the paper mill. However, the procession was stopped abruptly by the administration. We are on our way again on February 11 to complete the unfinished procession. It has been named ‘Religious Mourning Procession’. Since the shutdown of the two paper mills, six Hindu and twelve Muslim employees have died so far. Therefore, on that day, we would like to mourn and pay our respects to the Hindu departed souls at the Kali Mandir of Silchar crematorium and at the Fazal Shah Mokam adjacent to College Road for the Muslim departed souls.”

Several paper mill workers raised their various issues before MLA Dilip Kumar Paul today. The MLA handed over the forms of various government projects to them and asked them to apply.

However, it is worth mentioning that the Honourable Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, during his visit to Barak Valley for the Assam 2016 Assembly election campaign at a rally held in Kalinagar, Panchgram did promise the revival of the two paper mills along with the other small industries. But unfortunately, since then, there has been hardly any mention of these aforementioned issues at the centre. The Chief Minister also gave many assurances for the revival of the two mills, one being notably made at the Namami Barak programme which he himself attended as a guest and the other during Advantage Assam when the mill workers tried to agitate. Now, it remains to be seen whether the Chief Minister stays true to his assurances or ends up following the route of hollow promises as previously laid down by the Centre.