International forces trying to defame Indian tea, says PM Modi in Assam ahead of Assembly elections

Modi was addressing a crowd which included a large number of tea garden workers, a deciding section in at least 40 of the 126 Assembly seats in poll-bound Assam

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said some forces from foreign soil were trying to defame Indian tea at the international level.

"Some documents have revealed that some foreign forces are trying to attack Indian tea, which has a unique identity in the entire world. Will you accept such a conspiracy? Will you remain silent against such conspirators? The nation will never tolerate such a conspiracy. All those involved must answer and people will ask answers from the political parties who are silent against such a conspiracy," said Modi while addressing a massive gathering at Dhekiajuli, a town in North Assam's Sonitpur district, one of the major tea growing areas in Assam.

The crowd included a large number of tea garden workers, a deciding section in at least 40 of the 126 Assembly seats in Assam, polls to which are slated for April. The PM will be addressing another function at Haldia in poll-bound West Bengal in the afternoon.

With over 800 big tea gardens, Assam produces over 50% of tea grown in the country and is one of the biggest exporters. Nearly 60 lakh people work in Assam's tea gardens.

Appreciating the lal cha (black tea) grown in Dhekiajuli, Modi said that he has always tried to connect the pace of progress in Assam's tea gardens with the state's development.

"I am glad that the Assam government is taking steps to improve condition of tea garden workers. As part of that effort, Rs. 3,000 was deposited in the bank account of nearly 7.50 lakh tea garden workers yesterday. Financial assistance is also being given to pregnant women in the tea gardens. Even in the Union Budget this time, fund of Rs. 1,000 crore has been allocated for healthcare and education of tea garden workers in Assam and West Bengal," Modi said.

The prime minister, however, did not say anything about the tea garden workers' long-standing demand for the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

Modi was addressing the gathering after laying the foundation stone of two medical colleges, one in Biswanth in North Assam, another tea growing district, and another one in Charaideo in Eastern Assam. The PM also launched the 'Asom Mala', a project to improve the state highways and other roads in the state.

Medical colleges in mother tongue

Modi said he had a new dream to set up one medical college and a technical college in each state, which will provide education in mother tongue.

"Can't our young boys and girls learn and provide treatment in their mother tongue? There is no dearth of talent in the houses of the economically weaker families in the country. So once the new government is formed after the elections in Assam, work on such a medical college and technical college will begin here too," Modi said.