Assam Tea! Known for its aromatic enigma and delectable taste, it is not just a mere blend of soft green foliage dried and contoured into the best quality tea. Behind its making is the effort of the hands of thousand women who stand there in the midst of petite tea bushes, not basking in the sun but picking with dextrous hands and the keenest eyes the most impeccable leaves that give Assam Tea its well-earned reputation. In a country where women have the history of being suppressed, it is indeed quite remarkable that in this 180 years old industry, women have held an equally significant role as their male counterparts, accounting for fifty percent of its employment.
The tea pluckers of Assam which primarily constitute women are known to pluck over 21kgs of tea leaves every day, working arduously in the tea gardens all day long. Besides plucking, women are also involved in sowing and harvesting along with being involved in various agricultural activities. The quantity and quality of tea depends on these skilled hands that have been carrying out this task for generations. However, despite the additional role of the women as wage-earners in the plantation industry, the role of these women as homemakers has not undergone any subsequent change.
Although, privy to the legacies of women as being inferior to the men even in this industry where women are rendered lower socio-economic status with comparatively lower wages and a lack of befitting health care facilities, today I speak not of inequality but of their strength and elegance that lies in their agility and resilience. On this International Women’s Day, here’s celebrating all the planters and tea pluckers of Assam who are the backbone not only of their families but also of the abundant tea estates of Assam.
Also read: Monkey Tea Pluckers of China
