The never-ending struggles of West Bengal’s tea workers to claim land

Read Part One here.

In January 2023, West Bengal Chief Minister, during her visit to the Dooars region, said the workers would soon receive land patta. A month later, an area of 584.193 acres of leased-out lands was acquired by the state government under the West Bengal Estate Acquisition Act of 1953, section 6(3). Based on the West Bengal Land Reforms Act, 1955, Chapter VI section 49, selected tea garden workers were allotted plots of land ranging from 5 to 8 decimals either termed as ‘homestead’ or ‘sukha khet’ (vacant land). 

While some saw this as a positive move, the nature of spontaneous decisions and actions from the state government further raised many questions and uncertainties in the minds of the workers. An All India Adivasi Vikas Parishad, Tej Kumar Toppo, for example, is relieved by the fact that the land holding is non-transferable. “Had the land been saleable, it would endanger Adivasi land, culture, and identity,” he said.