105 years of 'Muluk Cholo': Tea workers seek state recognition

On the 105th anniversary of the historic 'Muluk Cholo' Day, processions and rallies were held in various tea gardens of Sylhet demanding state recognition and paid leave on May 20 as 'Tea Workers' Day'. At the same time, the workers demanded the inclusion of the brutal massacre of 1921 in the history textbooks.

On Wednesday (May 20), a central rally was held at Malnichara, the country's first tea garden adjacent to the city, at the initiative of the Tea Workers' Unity Central Committee. In addition, tributes, processions and wreaths were paid at memorials in several gardens including Lakkatura, Hiluachhara, Daldali, Kalagul, Burjan and Lalakhal.

On May 20, 1921, the Gurkha army opened fire on unarmed tea workers at the Chandpur Steamer Ghat on the orders of the British government. Thousands of workers lost their lives that day while walking hundreds of miles on foot to return to 'Nij Muluk' under the leadership of Pandit Gangadayal Dixit and Deosaran. The bodies of the deceased were cut open and thrown into the Meghna River. This incident is known in the world as the 'Chargula Exodus'. Later, the leader of the movement, Gangadayal Dixit, committed suicide on a hunger strike in protest of the torture in prison.

The central rally was addressed by Sanjay Kanta Das, adviser of Tea Workers' Unity and coordinator of BSAD (Marxist) Sylhet district, central committee president Ajit Roy Baraik, general secretary Bachan Kalwar, organizing secretary Adhir Bauri, office secretary Champak Bauri and finance secretary Namita Roy, among others.

The speakers said, 'How many people know about the heroism of tea workers in the anti-British movement today? This history should be included in the textbooks and May 20 should be given state recognition as 'Tea Workers' Day'.

Criticizing the recent comments of the Tea Board Chairman, the speakers said, 'For the last two years, discussions have been going on in the country for various democratic reforms. But it is very unfortunate that the fate of tea workers has not changed even a hair's breadth. On the contrary, the Tea Board Chairman said that tea workers evade work, work only three-four hours a day and they are fine. We strongly condemn his statement.'

Regarding wages, the speakers said, 'The prices of goods are increasing at an abnormal rate every day. How can one live well with a wage of only Tk187? It is impossible to run a family on this wage.' Therefore, they strongly demanded that the daily wage of tea workers be fixed at 600 taka and the repeal of 'Gazette-23', which was made in 2023 and was against the interests of workers.

Other speakers at the rallies organized in various gardens included Ravi Mal, co-secretary of the Tea Workers' Unity Central Committee, members Suhel Banerjee, Lipi Ganju, Chanchal Bakti and Mangal Karmakar, Daldali Garden Panchayat President Mintu Das, Kalagul Garden Panchayat President Ranju Nayek, General Secretary Santosh Reli, Sohag Chhatri, Burjan Garden Panchayat President Ratilal Nayek, Akshay Nayek and Saidur Rahman Suhel.