Himalayan Times (1953)

March 15, lOftM

iSimalanan limits

Sfcven

have to see at tlio samo time that the
industry does not die out. Tea industry
in West Bengal 1ms been supporting
about live lakhs of people On more
than one occasion recently I had gone
to the tea garden areas of Darjeeling
and Dooars to acquaint myself with the
serious problems facing the industry.
The employers complained to me that
the enormous loss in food concession
and increase in the wages of the workers
were ma nly responsible for the high
cost of production. They told me that
they had no reserve funds and the batiks
had refused linauei.il aid' If tilings con-
tinued like this they would lit) com-
ped ai to close down the gardens. It is
a fact i hat. they reaped enormous profit
.and give high dividends to the share-
holders timing the fast boom in the tea
industry. It is very unfortunate • that
they d.d not keep anything in reserve
for lean days. It is not good now crying
ov r the spilt milk. -The problem, is
enormous and to title over .this difficult
period, wo• have to put forth the "joint
elicits o Government, tlio .employers
and the. employee's. ' . . ‘

V

’mm n

? ports

so

far received it

appe li-

* ill < ’

a' d »

/.on t

®a gardens hav<*

ber n i!

up\.d v

Mcsed

;«ild

several thousand

worker

s have

: been

iliro.wn out of>eni-

ploy in*

m* m

I) i r j <

: dime;

More -.gardens-

i i l ay ' c

lose flu

.vn if

no e

mcerte 1 attempt

to .iv

It the

<H'-^

is m

ole. In Xovein'-

!) r 1'

)■>!, 1 i

•* n-

er.nuH

*nt of West Ben

- d -et, up an A ivi-.orv Committee finder
section 11 b! tli- Minimum W tg.'S Act,
l-ths. After analysing the various causes
1,1 lb” present crisis in details, the
( miimiltce submitted its interim report
ir.i D'irmber IS. lil./g. One of its unani-
ni" H r.'eom il m latioiH was that as a
temporary incisure to stop further closure
ot tot. gardens, tlie employers in Dar-
jeeling should I/O allowed to sell rice at

Its. 17-8 per maun I to their workers
with effect from January 1, 1S53.

The Fourth Industrial Commitltpe
on Plantations comprising the represent
tatives of employers and the employees
met in Calcutta and. recom'i.nend-d,
among other mea-ures; financial rel i-ef
to the tea industry . by tlie. Goyerm-nt
of India.

7 ■. .

To save the situation -the GOvern-
im nt of West B 'liga! have. accepted the
• reebmmendati n of the Advisory Commi-
ttee as in aHdwim.' the tea gardens in-
Darjeeling to.' sell rationed . foodstuffs in.
their labourers at; Its, 17 8 per maiimi
for a period of "2. •months witli effect
from .January 1. 1953. Jt is. expected
that the workers will, accept the': position.
It is not. the workers.- -alojte.-Wbo are
being called, upon to. make 'sagrifiees. •
The rceommendat on of the ■ .Advisory
Committee lias been aco-pted cn tic*
clear un lorstanditig that the management
will have a voluntary out of 10' per
cent , in their salaries The workers util I
be provided w.th work for G days a
week. .

I know this is going to bo a great
sacrifice- bn the part of the workers, but
under the present .circumstances there is
no other way out. I appeal to my
brothers and sisters lo accept this and
'co-operate with tlie management in over-
coming the present difficult situation.

1 also appeal to the management to appre-
ciate tlie sacrifices made by the workers
and to . take a sy in pathetic view of their
problems. I warn that they should not
t dee advantage of the present situation
and make it a pies to close down the
gardens temporarily during tlie slack
season. If such tilings happeneed, Govern-
ment will have to take a serious view
of the whole matter. (West Bengal
Weekly )