'Unpaid for Months': A Worker’s Death Exposes Bengal’s Tea Garden Crisis
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5 months ago
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On June 29, 2025, in the dilapidated Dukha Line of the Garganda Tea Garden in Alipurduar district of West Bengal, 51-year-old tea worker Gunjan Naik took his last breath. His death certificate, digitally signed by the local registrar, records the end of a life. But it does not record the cause. His widow, Basanti Naik, says that she knows the reason all too well. For several months before his death, Naik’s family survived solely on the statutory ration of 15 kg rice and 20 kg wheat per month. With no wages coming in, they were forced into an impossible trade-off – selling part of their assigned grains in the open market to buy vegetables. As the crisis worsened, even that option collapsed. Meals were reduced to once a day, consisting of boiled rice and salt. According to a fact-finding report by rights organisations, of 108 workers surveyed, nearly 38% were undernourished, with 26 individuals (24%) categorised as severely thin with Body Mass Index (BMI) below 17. Another 14% were underweight. Read full report here: https://thewire.in/rights/unpaid-for-four-months-a-workers-death-by-starvation-exposes-west-bengals-tea-garden-crisis Join The Wire's Youtube Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChWtJey46brNr7qHQpN6KLQ/join
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