Tension mounts once again in Dolu; More than 1500 tea garden workers launched a protest against construction of airport

Most of the tea plantation has been cleared in the Lalbag Division of Dolu Tea Estate that has been earmarked for the construction of the Greenfield Airport. More than 150 excavators worked extended shifts to uproot the tea plantation in order to make it a level field. Throughout the entire process, hundreds of tea-garden workers continued their vehement protest.

Local leadership did not make an attempt to meet the protesting labourers and earn their confidence, instead, the Police administration overpowered the protesters and got the work done.

Today, around 1500 protesters were back on the road protesting against the construction of the Airport. The protesters raised several slogans against the administration. They said that they will march toward the Deputy Commissioner’s office in Silchar and continue with their protest against the administration.

Seeing the protest gathering momentum, Cachar Police deployed a huge force. Equipped with riot controlling gears the force controlled the procession in front of the Lalbag Division. SP Cachar, DIG Southern Range, DSP, Additional SP, Assam rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation.

The protesters complained that the Police officials have been detaining locals pressing different charges against them. This, according to them, is an attempt to harass and derail the protest. “Why don’t you arrest us in broad daylight? If we film videos during our protest, the Police officials force us to shut our cameras, but they film our protests and based on the footage, arrest us. This has been happening with us for the last few days,” said a protesting tea garden worker.

After the sloganeering in the main road, the protesters held a meeting inside the Lalbag Tea Division to chalk out a plan for the road ahead.