Panighatta Tea Estate to Reopen After a Decade
Panighatta Tea Estate to reopen on May 2 after a decade-long closure, bringing cautious hope to workers under Mirik block of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
After a long stretch of being as dead as a dodo, the Panighatta Tea Estate, nestled under the misty folds of Mirik block in the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, is finally dusting off its cobwebs. The garden gate that has remained rusted shut since 2015 is all set to swing open again — and not a moment too soon, if you ask the locals.
The rather dramatic closure back on the 10th of October, 2015, saw the previous owner, one Shankar Sharaf, vanish into thin air with a parting gift — a notice of suspension citing “non-cooperation” from the workforce. Bit rich, some said, considering the only thing growing in the garden since then has been despair.
Fast forward to Tuesday evening, and it’s a different kettle of fish. After a proper chinwag lasting nearly three hours at Siliguri’s Shramik Bhawan — and one assumes quite a few cups of tea, though not from Panighatta — a tripartite meeting pulled a rabbit out of the hat. Under direct instruction from West Bengal’s Chief Minister, the baton (or perhaps pruning shears) was passed to S.S. Bagaria, the current boss of nearby Ghayabari Tea Estate.
Bagaria, to his credit, didn’t beat around the bush. He agreed to reopen the estate on 2nd May, marking what many hope will be a fresh start for the long-suffering workers. As part of the deal, he’s promised to cough up 11 days’ worth of pending wages and one month’s salary for staff and sub-staff during the opening week. Not exactly winning the lottery, but better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.
However — and here’s where the biscuit gets soggy — Bagaria flatly refused to settle the older dues. No Provident Fund. No gratuity. No bells and whistles. He’s also not picking up the tab for previous bank loans. “Not my circus, not my monkeys,” he might’ve well said.
There’s another catch, too. Those over 60 years of age? Out to pasture, whether they like it or not. A rather unsentimental approach, but then again, tea estates have never been known for being the cradle of kindness.
Meanwhile, the workers, some of whom have been on a relay hunger strike for a staggering 158 days, greeted the news with cautious optimism. They’re not ready to throw in the towel just yet. Kishore Pradhan, who’s been leading the protest (and likely running on fumes), put it plainly: “We’re not daft. We’ll end our strike only after the garden is up and running properly. Fool us once…”
So, the ball is now in Bagaria’s court. The workers are hopeful but wary, the teacups are waiting to be filled, and Panighatta might just get its second wind — provided everyone keeps their noses to the grindstone and doesn’t try to pull a fast one.
In the hills where time often feels like it’s been paused mid-sip, the reopening of this once-iconic estate is more than just economic — it’s emotional, historical, and, dare we say, long overdue. Now, let’s just hope the tea is worth the wait.
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