Guwahati: The Adivasi communities in North-East India are one of the biggest communities. They are yet to be accorded ST status like the other states of India like Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh. They were brought from Chotanagpur plateau in central India by the British for tea cultivation in Assam in the early part of 19th century.
The Adivasi communities constitute 20% of Assam’s state’s total population, according to the 2011 Population Census. They inhabit in the districts of Western Assam, Morigaon, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Darrang in central Assam, Golaghat, Jorhat, Sibsagar, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia in upper Assam, North Cachar and Karbi Anglong districts in Barak valley.
The tea industry of Assam is totally dependent on the workforce of the Adivasi community. Assam State alone produces more than half of the country’s one billion kilograms of tea every year. Tea sells for an average of Rs. 140 a kilogram, however tea garden workers are paid a basic daily wage of Rs. 94, much below the daily minimum wage of Rs. 350 for semi-skilled workers fixed by the government in 2015. Low wage and no land allotment continue to make the lives difficult. Grappling with a lack of jobs, incidents of young women and children trafficked are not stories of isolation but are common.
According to PAJHRA an organisation, working in Assam, “trafficking of young women and boys for domestic work or sex is a serious challenge facing the Adivasi community. Young women and boys looking for a better life in towns and cities often fall prey to unscrupulous middlemen, who lead the individuals into situations of forced servitude. The problem has become more acute due to constant conflict in Assam, low education levels among Adivasis, lack of opportunities for youth, and poor living and working conditions in the tea plantations.”
A webinar was organised entitled North East Indi Adivasi Youth Collective on October 17th jointly by UCFNEI, HCF and NeS and the moderator of the event was Sangeeta Tete.
The welcome address and invocation prayer was performed by Rev. W. C. Khongwir from UCFNEI.
The resource person of the day day was Mr. Paul Bhushan Das from IJM. The responses were given by Lilymaxima Ekka, Sr. Sevarina Lakra and Fr. Biswanjit Ekka.
The inaugural hymn was presented by youth from Rangagora and the closing Hymn was presented by youth from Bildipa hailing from the Karbi Anglong districts of Assam.
Concluding Remarks and benediction was given by Dr. B. J Symlieh from (UCFNEI)
The presentations, responses and the group discussions by the participants made the following:
- Assam floods this year affected around 3 million people in nearly 3000 villages of the 27 districts of the state. More than 1.2 lakh hectares of agricultural land were submerged displacing thousands of people. Situations worsened with the breakout of COVID-19 that forced numerous people to migrate to their homeland.
- It is of top priority to prevent human trafficking.
- Address the problem collectively by uniting efforts through networking and sharing of information.
- As many children from the tea gardens are taken as domestic helps there is a need to keep strict vigilance in villages.
- Sensitisation of the methods and evils of human trafficking is an urgent task.
- There should be child protection committees in every village.
- Schools and colleges should have AHT clubs in cooperation with Police departments.
- We need awareness program for youths and parents in North East India for the better future of our youths.
- Among the most vulnerable are the migrant labourers who returned who are not only at the risk of losing their livelihood but also face a threat to be trafficked.