Are We Drinking Sips of Misery? Darjeeling’s Tea
Many have said, wrote, screamt their lungs out, then disappeared into thin air.
Tea Garden Slavery
Darjeeling Hills Tea Garden Workers
I was going through these two receipts from Reliance Smart and could not stop thinking and writing about the plight of our Darjeeling’s tea garden workers and their ongoing demand for 20% Puja bonus.
Parliamentary Standing Committee Scathing Findings on Darjeeling and Dooars Tea Industry – Recommends Legislative Action for Ensuring Parja Patta Rights and Other Reforms
The report takes note that “the tea garden workers in Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars do not have land or ‘Parja-Patta’ (land rights) on their ancestral tea growing lands. To dwell on their ancestral homes, they must send at least one family members to work for the tea company. On failure to send a family member for work, they lose their rights to live on their ancestral lands. Since the land rights are vested with tea company, there have been instances when the aged workers having no children were denied the right to even repair their houses on their ancestral lands.”
Cinchona and Tea Garden Workers Facing Grave Problems Due to Mismatch in Aadhar, EPF, and UAN Numbers
सिन्कोना(Cinchona) अनि चिया बगान श्रमिकहरुको (E.P.F) भविष्य निधि कोषको आफ्नु(U.A.N) Universal Account Number संग आफ्नु आधार कार्ड संख्य Link नभएमा उक्त, श्रमिकहरुको मासिक कटौती ई,पी,एफ धनराशी 01 जुन 2021 देखि आफ्नु कोषमा जम्मा नहुने सरकार द्घारा अधिकारीक आदेश आए वापत सिन्कोना अनि चियाबारीको हजारौं श्रमिकहरु मार्कमा परेको छन् !
Cup of Tea
When I wake up this morning, the thirst for drinking cuppa made me look at my kitchen-shelf and found out that my tea container was nearly empty. I thought, will ask some tea leaves from my neighbour then it occurred on my mind that they have been on home quarantine for almost a week. Since we are tackling this apocalyptic situation venturing outside just for one particular supply deemed not as essential. So reckoning, what will be of my next tea time, I prepared for now with some left-over tea leaves which I enjoyed immensely as it was my last deoch an doris.
BK Birla Conglomerate Jay Shree Tea Company Locks Risheehat Tea Garden – After workers demand arrears
The management of Risheehat Tea Estate, Darjeeling owned by BK Birla Group’s Jay Shree Tea Company Ltd has suspended work at the garden, after workers refused to pluck tea leaves, unless their arrears was paid.
When Hope Was Murdered – Recalling the Historic Tea Garden Workers Agitation of 1955
From Ranbir Kapoor trying to woo Ileana D’Cruz in Baarfi, to Rajesh Khaana singing Mere Sapno Ki Rani Kab Aayegi Tu for Sharmila Tagore in Aradhana,…