Eleven tribal protesters arrested over West Bengal land‑port dispute

Eleven tribal residents of Torsa Tea Garden were arrested on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, for protesting the construction of a land‑port at the India‑Bhutan border in Gotabari, Alipurduar district. The arrested group includes four women and seven men from the adivasi community. Their families said they did not know the whereabouts of the detainees for about 18 hours and that the police shifted them between four and five stations before filing the arrest report.

What Happened

Construction by the Land Ports Authority of India at the Gotabari site had been underway for nearly five months. During that time, locals kept a peaceful, indefinite dharna beside the project for more than 100 days, demanding rehabilitation and compensation. On November 2, bulldozers arrived to work on the disputed land despite repeated pleas, prompting a confrontation that led to the arrests. The FIR (Jaigaon PS Case No. 326/26) was filed on November 3 based on a written complaint by Rakesh Kumar Meena, a junior engineer with LPAI, dated November 2.

Reaction

The Paschim Banga Cha Majoor Samity (PBCMS), a registered union of tea‑garden workers, issued a press statement saying no police complaint of obstruction or violence was made during the month‑long protest and that there was no damage to government property. The FIR also names social activist Anuradha Talwar, Binoy Kerkatta and Mahesh Xalxo as having "provoked and instigated" the crowd, although none were present at the site. An independent fact‑finding team that visited Torsa from August 1‑3, 2026 – comprising Professor Virginius Xaxa, Siraj Dutt and Anuprada Singh – confirmed that generations of families have cultivated the land without ownership documents.

Context

The union has called for the immediate release of the eleven detainees, withdrawal of the charges, and a halt to any further eviction until land‑rights, compensation and rehabilitation claims are settled. It also seeks official recognition of tea‑garden workers’ long‑standing occupation of the disputed land.