Healthcare facilities are not adequately available in most of the tea estate (TE) hospitals of Udalguri district. Almost a similar scenario is prevailing in most of the TE hospitals of the state. Moreover, there is a serious lack of awareness among the TE workers on issues concerning health and hygiene.
The Assam Mahila Samata Society (AMSS) has been implementing the National Mahila Samkhya programme and the 1992 Programme of Action. These programmes are envisaged respectively by the National Policy on Education 1986 and by the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD).
Talking to Assam Times, Ranjit Tanti said the TE workers are not provided with proper sanitation facilities and hygienic atmospheres.
There is a prevalence of child marriage among the TE communities and this may be attributed to lack of education. Their living conditions also result in several compulsions, which rob them of the capacity to think about anything beyond marriage.
Maternal and infant mortality rates among the TE communities are also high. This may be attributed to early marriage, excessive physical labour, use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers and a slipshod attitude among their men folk.
Referring to a survey based report prepared which assessed the healthcare scenario in 26 TEs of various sizes of Udalguri district, the TE women are deprived of proper maternity care. The situation has come to such a state that the TE community women have accepted the prevailing condition of their life as a fait accompli. What is more worrisome is that they are not conscious about the expected delivery dates of their babies. They do not go for institutional deliveries and are not granted maternity leave.
Cases are there when the TE women deliver their babies while on plucking duties, said the AMSS official.
Significantly, the TE community women are entirely working women and they are made to shoulder the responsibilities of running their families. However, they are very often subjected to violence, maltreatment, discrimination, sexual harassment by lucrative offers from garden mangers and are often being used slang words by the managerial staffs.
The trade unions dealing with the TE labourers’ issues are not seen raising any demand concerning the TE women. The government also have been playing a kind of drama on the TE workers, using them as a vote bank.
The atmosphere in the TE workers’ life is such that they cannot opt for extending financial or physical support to any of the on-duty pregnant women.
The worst sufferers of this situation are the woman casual labourers. There are also cases of discrimination against the woman labourers, both regular and casual, in matters of wages.
The growth in the small tea gardens’ number has also kept alive the bane of school dropouts among these people all over the State. This is also encouraging the child labour system in the tea industry.
29 Oct 2010 - 4:43pm | Ranjan K Baruah
All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) has added another spine on their demands of creating a separate state of Bodoland by organizing a mass rally at New Delhi on 28th October.. The mass rally started from...
26 Jun 2013 - 10:35am | Nibirakash Baruah
Earning a livelihood through agriculture has never been easy in Assam. But, in a welcome departure from tradition, farmers of Sonertari village of Barpeta district have opted for multiple-cropping...
28 Jan 2013 - 9:25am | SK Hasan
Alongwith the rest of country, the 64th Republic Day was colourfully celebrated at Nazira under the aegis of Nazira Civil Aadministration with a day-long programme. The ceremonial function was...
22 Mar 2013 - 4:33pm | Anup Biswas
Expressing deep concern the ongoing disturbance in Bangladesh with massive destruction of Temples, gutting down of houses the different Hindu Temples, Religious organizations of Dima Hasao district...
A Series of program conducted at C coy, 24 Bn SSB Rangia to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Kargil Victory Day which held from 20 to 26th July. In this occasion drawing and essay writing competition was held at the adopted school of Rajagarh in the presence of school teachers and prominent persons of the village.
Prizes were distributed among the winners and students were made aware about the supreme sacrifices, dedication and devotion of our soldiers demonstrated during the Kargil War.
A volley ball tournment was organised between the SSB jawans and No. 4 Rajagarh boys. The later...
Men-elephant conflict refuses to die down in Indo-Bhutan border of Udalguri. After a brief lull, two women lost their lives in two different incidents of attack on men on Friday.
The first incident took place in Dharamjuli T.E. under Khagrabari outpost where a wild elephant trampled to death Kalpana Koyan, a 45 year old woman.
The shocking incident took place at garden in wee hours when the elephants suddenly barged into estate colony.
In yet another incident on the same day, Shitai Proja 60, W/o- Birshu Proja of Khairani and worker of Tenzing Bodosa's Elephant friendly garden was walked over.
The workers in the garden are terrified by the incident.
The Dimakuchi...
A patient named by one Helena Nag (25) died at a government-run laparoscopy sterilization programme held at Nonaipara tea estate hospital on Saturday. Hundreds of oter women did not participate in the sterilization camp fearing death.
According to locals, the sterilization camp was organsied with inadequate provision of surgical equipments and carried out by unskilled of medical staff in the tea estate hospital.
An FIR was lodged at Paneri police station on this incident.
Noted socialist Mahesh Chandra Sharma of Dimakuchi has resigned from Axom Xahitya Xabha (AXX) Dimakuchi branch.
Talking to media, Sharma informed that he is resigning from all posts of Dimakuchi AXX Committee.
He was a ex-president and advisor of Axom Xahitya Xabha (AXX) Dimakuchi branch.
He stated that Xahitya Xabha should be secular and non-political. It has been observed that a very many men of the organization have involved in politics and seeks refuge from political leaders.
Picnic trip turned fatal for a group of friends in Attarekhat as three of its members were severely injured in a road accident last evening. According to reports, a group of friends had come for a picnic from Chandmari, Guwahati to Bogamati picnic spot. On their return journey the Tata Indigo collide from the road and turned upside down. The injured are identified as Rohit Kumar Roy, John Paul Tirkey and Ananda Mishra by the Khagrabari Outpost Incharge Anil Sonowal who said that the accident was due to over drunk. Three have been seriously injured and sent to hospital for treatment. The Udalguri –Tamulpur road which is under construction has seen quite many accidents before its...
Tea garden workers of Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), Mangaldai ACMS Branch, in Udalguri district and activists staged a dharna on Wednesday in the front of the tea garden managers office premise with a demand to fix the wage of the tea garden workers up to Rs 350. The protesting leaders said that tea garden workers’ unions had persisted with their demand of hike in daily wages to Rs. 350 and appealed to the authority concerned several times but their demands had turned into deaf ears. They added that both the Centre and State governments do not think about the welfare of the tea workers’ community, except when they need them as vote bank. Only during the period of election, political...
DIMAKUCHI: One Mahindra Porja, a resident of No.3 Uttar Dimakuchi (Porja Basti) village under Dimakuchi Police station near Dimakuchi TE had reportedly drowned in the nonai">Nonai river on Tuesday morning. Porja wanted to cross the river with his nephew Aasman Porja (30). But the he was swept away by the high river current. Aasman Porja stated that they were moving towards Paneri Tea Estate to meet their relatives. Both were in an inebriated state. The body of the deceased is yet to be traced. Moreover the bridge over nonai">Nonai river is still under construction.
DIMAKUCHI: BTC Deputy Speaker Nerswn Bodo opened up the new school complex of UN Academy at Dimakuchi at a function on Wednesday. He announced Rs 50,000 to the UN Academy toppers in Dimakuchi in the HSLC. The estimated cost of construction of school building of UN Academy was 10,0000 for infrastrucural development under one time special assistance to BTC. Dayaram Bodo, Principal, UN Academy welcomed the guests.
DIMAKUCHI: Khokhabasti, a tiny hamlet in Tangla is busy with the preparation to host the Adivasi Mahasabha session. The four-days session is beginning from January 18, said the Magasabha officials. Adivasi leaders Juwel Kawa and Prakash Topno installed the cornerstone of the session venue on Thursday in presence of many digniteries.
The Adivasi groups are all set for a fresh agitation demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status. The action is starting with a seven-hour rail blockade on December 19 when Parliament will be holding its winter session. The decision to launch the massive agitation was finalized at a recent Adivasi National Convention where the angry leaders decided to step up protests against the BJP led NDA government at the Centre since before election the party promised it. The convention is an umbrella body of 17 Adivasi organisations, including five militant groups in ceasefire. Adivasi leader Birsing Munda told Assam Times on Saturday that its members would block tracks in Kokrajhar,...
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