'Lack of development in tea garden areas pushing youths to insurgency'

GUWAHATI: New research by author Juri Borah Borgohain has brought to light that many girls in upper Assam's tea gardens are being drawn towards armed struggle. The acclaimed author based in Chabua town of Bidrugarh has recently come out with her new social novel 'Angkush', which is based on the pathetic conditions of workers in the state's tea industry and how insurgent outfits have started to play an integral role in the daily lives in the tea gardens.

According to the prominent author, many girls in tea gardens look at getting involved with militant outfits as a way of escape.

She said, "Labourers in the tea gardens of upper Assam have been the most exploited, and they are infuriated after seeing the development that has happened in the last decade outside the tea gardens. According to my observation while gathering particulars about my new novel, cadres of extremist outfits have made inroads into the tea gardens over the last decade. The labourers and their children don't know the ultimate goal of such groups but many from the community have shown trust in such extremist organizations with hope of getting emancipated."

A large chunk of the tea garden workforce have been women since the 19th century, who have always been exploited, said the author while talking to media on Sunday. However, she added, it is a new trend that a section pof frustrated youths from the tea gardens are deserting their stations probably to join extremist organizations. "Their urge to join the extremist groups has been construed as an outburst of their anger towards the negligence shown to them by society over the years," Borgohain said.

"They are being attracted towards armed struggle because the outfitshave convinced them that their path is the only way for uplifting of the downtrodden community linked with the tea industry," she said.