In the midst of severe food shortage and being denied of their due wages for 15 weeks straight, workers of Baikunthapur tea garden in Habiganj made an emergency food aid appeal to the government, after the owner of the tea estate broke his promise of paying some 400 workers on Thursday. Trapped in what can only be described as a form of modern day slavery, workers and their families have had to survive on liquid extract from boiled rice, mashed tea leaves and chilli peppers.

As most of these workers are poor and live nearly hand to mouth on their weekly wages, around 2,400 people, including workers and their family members, have been forced into such horrid conditions by the estate authorities who shamelessly continue to receive their labour and not pay them in return because of, according to the tea garden administrative staff, incurring losses. Meanwhile, with members of their families starving, many of the workers have had to run into huge debts. Some have fallen sick, and if the problem continues, will die, according to workers and their family members.

Such treatment of workers is in no way acceptable in a civilised country. And even if the tea estate is incurring losses that can in no way justify not paying the workers their due wages. Thus, the authorities should immediately provide workers and their families with food aid as requested and, furthermore, instruct the owner of the estate to pay the workers what is owed to them without delay.