Post date: Dec 27, 2012 1:5:34 PM
Owner of a tea estate and his wife are charred to death by labourers in India's northeastern Assam state over failing to address their issues.
TINSUKIA, ASSAM, INDIA (DECEMBER 26, 2012) (ANI) - In shocking incidence of mob violence, owner of a tea estate and his wife were charred to death on Wednesday (December 26) by labourers in Tinsukia district ofIndia's northeastern Assam state over failing to address their issues.
Mridul Kumar Bhattacharyya, the owner and director of several tea gardens in the state and his wife Rita Bhattacharyya were attacked by about 200 workers who came with sharp weapons, knives and batons.The incident was a consequence of discord between the labourers and the estate management.
The couple were locked inside their bungalow, which was later set on fire.
The mob set ablaze the official quarters of the garden's manager and other property was vandalised.
Police said that bodies have been burnt and cannot be recognised.
Media reports said that for the past two months, differences had surfaced between the tea garden management and labourers on salaries were not paid to them.
Also, there were reports of the owner attempting to molest a girl working in the garden.
The situation is said to be tense in the area.
The poor conditions under which the tea garden workers subsist forces both men and women of the house to work in the tea estates for a living.
The recent legislations related to the labour laws have done little for these tea garden workers to improve their conditions.
As per the Plantations Labour Act of 1951, they are getting only 90 rupees ($1.71) after an increases of additional rupees 67 ($1.23) to 90 this year has been made by the government.
India produces average 980 million kilograms and the production of tea in North Bengal is around 230 million kilograms which gives huge dollars to the tea industries.