Two leaves and a bud, a tale of certain exotics

At a time when the Assam government declared its plans to develop 22 golf courses nestled in its tea estates, a gruesome incident brought forth the misplaced priorities. On the evening of December 26, an angry mob of workers set on fire the bungalow of a tea estate owner in Tinsukia district. The owner, Mridul Bhattacharya, died along with his wife. The dispute started with unpaid wages and lack of housing facilities for the workers. Tea estate workers are typically paid a portion of their wage in cash and the remaining in fringe benefits like housing, subsidised ration and medical facilities guided by the Plantation Labour Act of 1951. But in most cases, the in-kind benefits seldom reach workers—be it in the largest tea producing state of Assam or the prized gardens of Darjeeling. There is simmering discontent in the picturesque tea gardens, as Down To Earth reported last year when the demand for better wages and facilities in the Darjeeling gardens merged with the demand for a separate statehood of Gorkhaland. When a young film-maker sets to uncover the secrets behind the famed Darjeeling tea, he chooses two abstractions to tell the story: a fictional narrative and the language of gibberish. The scriptwriter and director of ‘Six Strands’, Chaitanya Tamhane, extracts a promise from the viewer at the very beginning of his 15 minutes short film. ‘I will tell you what I know about her. But promise me you’ll keep a secret. Or else I will get in trouble.’

Polluting units shut in Kaziranga

Land of discord

Nepal battles poor food safety standards

How big is the problem of food contamination in Nepal and how is the government handling it? Interviewee:  Pramod Koirala

A brewing scandal

CARE for some tea? Before reaching out for that cuppa here is some information: herbal brews and some tea brands contain ingredients unlisted on the packet. The unlisted contents include weeds that could result in allergic reactions.

Letters

Issues over tea

Just like a forest

It’s afternoon and wisps of clouds have already enveloped the Sora Muni shrine that keeps watch over Sri Lanka’s Horton Plains massif. Here, Tamil workers of the Thotulagalla tea estate in Haputale offer a sacrificial goat to the deity following the annual pruning of tea bushes.

Two leaves and a bud

A tea taster working at a broking house in Kolkata screens first flush Darjeeling tea. Most gardens no longer depend on auctions to sell their produce and do their own marketing and promotion. The prices for international ‘private sales’ therefore remains a secret! Read full story: Simmering discontent over tea Photograph by: Sayantan Bera      

Two leaves and a bud

Tea and tourism remains are the biggest employers for the Gorkhas of Darjeeling hills. Locals rue on the lack of technical colleges that can give them a chance at better jobs. An unemployed youth shoots a tourist inside a tea estate. Read full story: Simmering discontent over tea Photograph by: Sayantan Bera      

Two leaves and a bud

Women pluckers return after a day of work. The hilly terrain makes plucking a demanding job. Women often climb for hours together to reach the plucking area. Read full story: Simmering discontent over tea Photograph by: Sayantan Bera