Witches, lagari and activism: solidarity networks in tea plantations in Assam

In June 2018, trade unionists from the Assam Chah Mazdor Sangh (ACMS), one of the most dominant trade unions in tea plantations, accused a woman activist from the All Adivasi Women Association of Assam (AAWAA) of practicing witchcraft. ACMS has historically voiced plantation labourers’ demands and maintained significant influence within plantations. However, ACMS operates as a hegemonic and patriarchal institution through its male-dominated leadership structure that systematically excludes women from decision-making processes and perpetuates gendered hierarchies within the plantation labour force. By wielding witchcraft accusations against women activists who challenge their authority, ACMS leadership demonstrates how patriarchal power is maintained through the strategic deployment of superstitious beliefs. This paper investigates how women activists from AAWAA navigate such hegemonic control exercised by male trade union leaders. The presence of AAWAA activists at Ahatguri tea plantation challenged ACMS dominance, prompting union leaders to accuse them of practicing witchcraft. Drawing on fieldwork conducted between May-August 2018 and June-August 2024, this paper analyses how women activists—frequently stigmatised as ‘witches’—have strategically circumvented traditional union politics. It explores how these activists have reclaimed and reappropriated the ‘witch’ category through lagari (friendship) networks, highlighting the significance of gendered resistance among adivasi women plantation labourers.