Over 1,800 Former Manjolai Tea Estate Workers Removed from Electoral Roll After Closure

Following the closure of the Manjolai tea estate in the Western Ghats, over 1,800 former workers, many from Scheduled Caste communities who had lived there for generations, have been removed from the electoral roll after a Special Intensive Revision drive. The estate, established in 1927 with laborers from Tirunelveli and Kerala, fostered a unique social community with diminished caste divisions. Despite challenges like harsh terrain and cold weather, the management provided basic amenities, but the closure has left many workers without voting rights.