From Fields to Freedom: Assam’s Tea Workers Claim Their Land

For over two centuries, the tea gardens of Assam have thrived on the sweat and labour of generations who have remained largely invisible in the pages of history. Amid the rolling green expanses, workers have tended the plantations, harvested leaves at dawn, and sustained one of the state’s most vital industries—yet they have lived without a stake in the land itself. This long-standing inequity is poised for change.

On October 19, 2025, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that a landmark bill would be introduced in the Assam Legislative Assembly on November 25, aimed at transferring land ownership from tea garden managements to the workers who have called these estates home for generations. Addressing the 19th Biennial Conference of the Assam Tea Tribes Students Association (ATTSA