Kailashahar (Tripura), April 2: Leftist labor organizations in the Unakoti District of Tripura has taken a stand against what they call reckless government interventions in the region’s fruit orchards and tea gardens.
On Wednesday, workers and activists of Left organisations accused authorities of uprooting livelihoods by felling fruit trees and neglecting tea garden laborers and submitted a formal deputation to Unakoti District Magistrate Dilip Kumar Chakma.
The deputation was spearheaded by a joint initiative of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) and the All India Kisan Sabha’s Kailashahar Sub-Divisional Committee.
A four-member delegation – comprising labor leaders Nilkantha Sinha, Niranjan Roy, Ananta Nama, and Ananta Das—marched to the District Magistrate’s office to present their grievances.
Their demands were clear: halt the cutting of fruit trees for a proposed bamboo plantation, utilize vacant land instead, and ensure employment for local workers in both the orchard and tea garden areas.
A Battle Over Fruit and Futures
At the heart of the dispute lies the sprawling fruit orchard in Chhantail Gram Panchayat, a verdant expanse renowned as the largest of its kind across the erstwhile North District – now split into Dhalai, Unakoti, and North Tripura districts.
Teeming with mango, litchi, and jackfruit trees, the orchard has long been a lifeline for hundreds of worker families.
“This is more than just a garden—it’s our survival,” said Nilkantha Sinha, a prominent labor leader, addressing reporters after the deputation.
He accused the government of systematically clearing the orchard to make way for a bamboo plantation project, a move he described as shortsighted and devastating.
“There’s plenty of empty land behind the orchard,” Sinha argued. “Why destroy what feeds us when they could build their bamboo project there?”
The delegation insisted that any development on vacant land must prioritize local workers, ensuring their economic security isn’t sacrificed for government plans.
The deputation doesn’t end with the orchard. The abandoned Sonamukhi tea garden, a relic of neglect stretching back years, has become another flashpoint.
Once a thriving hub, the garden has left hundreds of worker families jobless, with no government intervention to revive it.
Now, authorities have unveiled plans to transform the site into a tourism center—a proposal that has sparked both hope and skepticism.
“They promised jobs for our tea garden workers, but nothing has materialized,” Sinha said.
“We demand immediate employment for these families, or this tourism dream will mean nothing to us.”
A Threat of Escalation
The leftist unions issued a stern warning: if their three-pronged demands—preserving the fruit orchard, developing vacant land with local labor, and securing jobs for tea garden workers—are not met, they will escalate their protests into a broader movement.
“We won’t sit quietly while workers are kicked aside,” Sinha declared, hinting at mass demonstrations”, the Union leaders said. The delegation left the District Magistrate’s office with cautious optimism, as Chakma promised to consult with relevant officials to explore solutions.
The Government’s Defense
District Magistrate Dilip Kumar Chakma, however, highlighted Social Welfare Minister Tinku Roy’s recent clarification on these issues which offered a contrasting perspective in a press interaction following the deputation.
In his clarification Roy said. “The fruit trees in Chhantail are old and barren. The Horticulture Department has confirmed these trees no longer bear fruit, making the land ripe for repurposing.”
The Minister emphasized that the bamboo project aims to modernize the area, not destroy it.
On the tea garden issue, Tinku Roy said, “It’s been closed since 2007 under the Left government, which did nothing for the workers. When the BJP took power in 2018, we committed to action.”
Three years ago, the state acquired the tea garden land, and ambitious plans are now underway. Beyond a tourism center, the site will host the Unakoti District Magistrate’s office, the District Superintendent of Police’s office, and other administrative buildings.
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha has already laid the foundation stone, signaling the project’s momentum.
Tinku Roy painted a picture of progress: a three-star hotel and a state-of-the-art park are also in the works, with assurances of permanent jobs for local workers.
“This isn’t just development for show—it’s development with purpose,” he said, countering the unions’ claims of neglect.
