Assam govt begins historic land rights drive for tea tribes

Guwahati: The BJP-led Assam govt on Monday began the process of granting tea tribes and adivasi community ownership of the land they have lived and worked on for generations. The initiative is undertaken by a govt for the first time since British rulers brought labourers from Chotanagpur, Bihar and Bengal in the mid-19th century.Nearly 3.5 lakh families across 825 tea estates stand to get their land rights. The community constitutes nearly 20% of Assam’s population.CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, while rolling out the initiative at Dinjoy Tea Estate in Dibrugarh, said, “Until now, land ownership rested with tea estate owners, even though workers had long demanded rights. No previous govt addressed this issue, but today that demand is finally being acted upon. From today, our ‘Cha Shramiks’ can begin the process of securing ownership of tea garden line lands. This is a historic step for their welfare and dignity.”“The poll dates are likely to be announced within the next 20 to 25 days. Our govt is confident of returning to power. I want to ensure at least some families receive land pattas before elections are announced,” he said.Not just land, Sarma also made a “firm commitment” to provide houses under PMAY and repair grants for old homes for the community members after the land settlement is done.The initiative, aimed at granting ownership rights to tea garden workers, comes just weeks before assembly elections are expected to be announced. It underscores BJP’s push to consolidate support among the community, which traditionally seen as a Congress vote bank, has played a decisive role in BJP’s victories since 2014.In Nov last year, the govt amended the Assam Fixation of Ceiling on Landholdings (Amendment) Act, 2025, which transfers ownership of labour line lands from tea estate owners to the govt. The CM added that surveys have already been completed in 103 gardens, with work starting in 250 more.Tea was first discovered in Assam in 1823, when merchant-soldier Robert Bruce spotted wild tea plants. This led to the East India Company developing plantations, with the first commercial production beginning in 1835 at Chabua Tea Garden in Dibrugarh. By 1841, the Company had recruited the first groups of labourers to work in Assam’s tea estates.