The death toll among employees of the defunct Cachar Paper Mill in Assam has risen to 132, with another worker losing his life amid the prolonged crisis.
The latest victim, Nurul Hoque, a 66-year-old resident of Surtara in Cachar district, passed away on September 26 after a year-long battle with cancer. He was remembered by his colleagues as a dedicated fighter for the rights of the mill workers.
The Joint Action Committee of Recognised Unions (JACRU) said that the series of deaths among employees of the Hindustan Paper Corporation’s Cachar and Nagaon mills, now under the Assam government, highlights the severe distress caused by more than 105 months of unpaid salaries and dues.
Union leaders alleged that despite Assam government’s announcement of humanitarian aid, irreparable damage has already been done.
“The responsibility for these deaths rests on the Government of India, which has failed to resolve the crisis. What was once a government-owned industry has turned into a valley of death,” JACRU president Manobendra Chakraborty said in a statement.
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The unions claim the death toll includes four cases of suicide linked to financial hardship and trauma. Workers continue to face severe stress and lack of dignity in life, they said.
Chakraborty called upon citizens and the wider community to raise their voices for justice, describing the plight of mill workers as “inhuman torture” and a “holocaust-like situation.”
The Cachar and Nagaon paper mills, once major employers in Assam, have been non-functional for years, leaving workers in a prolonged struggle for survival while awaiting a permanent solution from the Centre and the state.
