The Communist Party of Revolutionary Marxists (CPRM) on Tuesday demanded that either the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) or the Bengal government declare June 25 a holiday to pay homage to tea garden workers who lost their lives in the first uprising in the tea industry in 1955.
“We request either the GTA or the state government to declare June 25 as a holiday to pay homage to the persons who had died in police firing at Margaret’s Hope tea garden in 1955,”said Sunil Rai, senior CPRM leader.
The garden is some 18km from Darjeeling.
The party also plastered posters in Darjeeling raising the demand.
On June 25, 1955, six persons, worker Jitman Tamang, 48, Kanchha Sunwar, 32, Amritmaya Kamini, 18, Maulishova Raini, 22, Padam Lal Kami, 24, and Kaaley Subba, 14, who was watching the action from atop a tree, were killed.
On May 8, 1955, a 14-point charter of demand was placed to the tea management which included increase in wages, implementation of plantation labour Act and an end to the hattar bahar practice.
Hattar bahar was a practice through which the management would ask the entire family to leave the garden if no member from the family worked in the tea garden
concerned.
With little reaction from the tea managements on the May 8 meeting, the tea unions predominantly led by CPM and Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League again sat for a meeting at Gorkha Dukha Niwarak Sammelan Hall (GDNS) on June 5 and decided that a industry-wide strike would be observed from June 22 if their demands were not met.
On June 25, news spread that the police were forcing workers to work in the neighbouring gardens.
The workers of Margaret’s Hope then decided to take out a procession and march towards the garden when the police firing took place.
The incident shook the industry and on June 28 the management agreed to many of the workers’ demands.
The wages of the workers were raised from six annas (38 paisa) to eight annas (50 paisa). The practice of hattar bahar also ended.
The CPRM is also commemorating the 70th anniversary of the incident at the garden on Wednesday.
