PM Modi’s visit to Assam tea gardens sparks controversy

Assam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Monohari Tea Estate in Dibrugarh, Assam, on the morning of April 1st, without any prior engagement. He spoke with tea workers and plucked tea leaves before heading to election rallies in Gogamukh and Behali in the state.

Photos of this visit quickly spread on social media and news channels, drawing sharp criticism from the opposition. The opposition called it a publicity photo-op to woo tea garden voters ahead of the assembly elections. Some also questioned why the Prime Minister was seen plucking tea leaves, given that Assam’s tea gardens traditionally employ women, while men are typically assigned other tasks.

His team then contacted the estate owner, Rajen Lohiya, and asked if some Hindi-speaking workers could be brought in so the Prime Minister could understand their concerns and daily routine. Instead of meeting them at a resort, the Prime Minister wanted to meet them at their workplace. Time was short, and Modi had to fly out within an hour. In less than 40 minutes, Lohia arranged a group of women tea garden workers who could converse in Hindi. The Prime Minister asked them what more the government could do to improve their lives. The workers expressed their concerns but also expressed pride in Draupadi Murmu becoming the President of India. Murmu, the country’s first tribal president, belongs to the Santhal community, the same community from which many tea garden workers in Assam belong.

What followed—images of the Prime Minister among the tea bushes—became the most talked-about political images of the morning.