The Socio-Economic Status of the Tea-Garden Women Workers: A Case Study from the Tea

Plantations of North Bengal, West Bengal India.

Abstract: Since the inception of tea industry in North Bengal during the colonial period, women have

had an overwhelming presence in the tea industry in comparison to their overall work participation rates

in the state. In contrast to the tranquil, lush green tea gardens presented to the consumers, tea plantation

workers especially the women work force lead a very low and unhealthy life and are paid low. The

socio-economic conditions of the women tea workers are very pathetic and they lag behind the non tea

workers on all socio economic indicators.

This paper will study the socio-economic problems of the female tea garden workers, the causes that

led to the present socio-economic status of female tea garden workers, the statutory measures required

for upliftment of the social and economic status of women workers in the tea plantations of North

Bengal. The paper will also deal with the voluntary measures taken up by the Government,

Managements and the Unions to achieve the same goals.

Introduction: In West Bengal, tea plantation workers are mostly from Adivasi and Tribal

communities. They are descendants of poverty-stricken peasants and landless people from neighbouring

states who were brought and recruited by the colonial planters some one-fifty years ago. It was seen

that the workers’ mobility in the tea plantations were restricted and they were deliberately made

dependent for all their needs on the basic facilities provided by the tea estate.

Single men and women were forced to pair, thus creating generations of tea plantation workers.

Moreover, employment of women in tea plantations was sought in order to ‘contain the male labour

force’ and ‘to ensure steady reproduction of cheap labour’. The need to “populate” the labour force

combined with stereotypes of women being able to engage in quality picking of leaves led to a higher

proportion of women being recruited and subjugated in the tea industry. This disproportionately higher

number of women in the tea plantations in India and the accompanying subjugation of this workforce

is a phenomenon that continues even till today.

It should be noted that the living conditions of the workers since the colonial period were very low as

workers were flogged, abused, and discarded inhumanely upon death. The housing, medical facilities,

and food supply provided to the workers were completely inadequate and workers’ living conditions

were also miserable. In simple term, these female workers can be termed as bonded labourers.

Moreover, it can be seen that extremely low wages accompanied by gender stereotypes and the

subjugation of women are very common features of the Indian Tea Plantation Industries. We also see

that though women contribute substantially towards the household income, they are still looked down

upon as doormats by their husbands and are domestically and sexually exploited.

Research questions:

• What is the status of the tea gardens in Darjeeling Hills and Doors in view of the widespread

crisis in the tea industry of the country?

• Do the tea plantations function as gendered spaces? If so, how?

• What have been the social (workplace and domestic sphere) and economic conditions of the

women labourers across the tea districts of North Bengal?

• How are the women workers bound up within social norms that various strands of identity

(gender, ethnicity, and so on) imply? Do they passively submit to these forms of dominance or

do they express agency in negotiating within dominant spaces?

• How is the agency(if any) of the women workers understood and played out? What implications

does it have in their lives?

Objectives of the proposal: This research proposal tends to look into the various social and economic

problems faced by the women workers in the tea plantations of North Bengal, West Bengal.

• To look into the social situations focusing mainly on health, education, sanitation, child labour,

maintenance and working of the Baby Day Care Centres (Crèches).

 • To understand and address the economic situations- wage structure, the pattern of lifestyle and

whether alternative professions are taken up by any to meet their livelihoods.

• To look into the gender discriminations faced by these women workers, violation of women’s

rights, human rights.

• To look into the measures taken up by the Government, Tea Plantation Managements, and the

Labour Unions for the protection of these women workers.

Methodology of the Proposal: Tea Plantations in North Bengal can be found in four districts namely-

Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar. Few tea gardens ranging from thriving tea gardens

to sick or closed tea gardens from these districts will be selected and be studied. A Qualitative Case

Study Approach will be adopted to achieve the objectives of my research.

Primary Data will be collected by direct contact method with the help of questionnaires and interview

schedules firstly with the tea garden workers (household surveys), and finally with the management

team of the related tea plantation.

Secondary Data will be collected through studying of various books, research journals, review

literatures based on the particular theme. Datas from various Tea Associations and Tea Board Offices,

Trade Unions will also be taken into account. Moreover, reports from newspapers and journals (both

national and regional) will also be studied. Besides the literature sources, secondary data will also be

obtained from relevant files, records, maps, photographs, and documents related to the research topic.

Views and counterviews of the local experts, NGOs, and activists in the context of the socio-economic

situations of these workers will also be taken into account.

Specification of the Broad Field of Study: This proposal through the help of women studies will

look into the various social and economic problems faced by the women workers in the tea plantation

industries of West Bengal. The sad plight of the plantation women at domestic sphere will also be taken

into account. It will study the fact as how these miserable living and working conditions are leading to
various rebellious movements and strikes by the workers. It will also compare the social economic

situations prevalent in the colonial period with that of the present scenario. It will focus on the various

strikes and movements initiated and supported by the female workers against the tea plantation

management and whether these women are given representation in the trade unions of their respective

gardens.

Conclusion: Female tea workers suffer from violation of their human rights and are always

discriminated on the basis of gender in work related activities, at home and even in terms of wages.

This marginalization of the women workforce during the contemporary times is deeply rooted in the

colonial past.

Moreover, the coercive politics of the tea planters force the female workforce to work on low wages

and in poor working conditions inspite of being in an organized sector. It can also be said that the

coming of Globalisation and Urbanisation in India affected these workforce severely.

While there are plethora of schemes, rights, acts, they are neither accessible to the workers nor are they

duly implemented. Moreover, those who voiced their opinions were often isolated or are sacked from

work.

Thus, the chronic violations of women’s rights and gender discrimination in tea plantations require a

structural change within India that can only be achieved with the central involvement of the tea workers

themselves and those who support their struggles on the basis of human rights in holding the

Government of India accountable to its Human Rights obligations.

References

1. Bhowmik, Sharit K., 2005, ‘Tea Plantation Workers Lose Out on Wages’, Economic and

Political Weekly, Vol XL No 38.

2. Bhutia, Y., 1991, ‘Natural Environment and Changing Socio-economic setup in Darjeeling

Himalaya’, unpublished M.Phil dissertation, New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University.

3. Centre for Education and Communication, 2003, ‘Tea Plantations of West Bengal in Crisis’,

Research Report, New Delhi: CEC.

4. Government of India, Ministry of Labour & Employment, 2008-2009, ‘Socio-economic

Conditions of Women Workers in Plantation Industry.

5. Khawas, Vimal, 2006, ‘Status of Tea Garden Labourers in eastern Himalaya: a case of

Darjeeling Tea Industry’, Council for Social Development, New Delhi.

6. Rasaily, Raju., 2014, ‘Women’s Labour in the Tea Sector: Changing Trajectories and Emerging

Challenges’, Centre for Development Studies, Thiruvananthapuram.

7. Sarkar, kanchan and Bhowmick, Sharit. K., 1998, ‘Trade Union and Women Workers in Tea

Plantations’, Economic and Political Weekly.

8. Tirkey, Lalit P., 2005, ‘Tea Plantations in the Darjeeling District, India: Geo-ecological and

Socio-Economic impacts in Post- Independence Period’, Natural Resources Institute,

University of Manitoba.

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