Socio-Economic and Political Problems of Tea Garden Workers

The book is the result of intensive field study of the socio-economic and political problems confronting the tea plantation labourers of Assam. The morbid situation in Cachar plantations in south Assam, where most of the workers still live a life of penury, is also highlighted here. The immigrant labourers of Assam tea plantation. Being the victims of poverty, ignorance, illiteracy and excessive exploitation by the Zamindars and agricultural landlords, left their ancestral places a century and half earlier and settled permanently in different tea estates, have since then become part and parcel of Assam. These labourers gave blood, shed tears and worked hard day in and day out to turn the barren tracts into green patches of lush tea bushes producing the black diamond. It is true that the tea estates which sprawled in the shimmering sylvan valleys have undoubtedly the economic profile and the state of Assam. But the socio-economic problems of these workers continued to be deplorable. The fruit of the participatory democracy is still beyond their reach. The authors have critically analysed all these aspects in detail which may be helpful to the planners and decision-making bodies at different levels.

S.N. Singh (b. 1935) who got his M.A. degrees in Geography and Political Science from Patna University served Cachar College, Silchar (Assam) as Head of the Department, Political Science, and worked at S.R. College, Kalain (Cachar) as Principal for 5 years. Dr. Singh got his Ph.D from North Eastern Hill University, Shillong on “Geo-political Study of Mizoram”, worked as principal investigator on UGC-sponsored Major Research Project on “Socio-economic and Political Problems of Tea Workers of Barak Valley (Assam).” Dr. Singh participated in innumberable seminars, workshops at regional and national level and contributed papers which have been published in different books. Besides academic pursuits he is associated with many social and cultural organizations in different capacities. (Kr.) Amarendra Narain (b. 1958) graduated from Cachar College, Silchar with Economics Honours and took his Post-Graduate degree in the same subject under Gauhati Universityand Ph.D degree from Magadh University, Gaya for nearly 20 years before joining R.S.P. College Jaintpur under B.R. Ambedkar University, Muzaffarpur (Bihar). He was also the Research Associate under UGC-sponsored Major Research Project on “Socio-Economic and Political Problems of Tea Workers of Barak Valley (Assam).” Besides, he participated in various seminars/workshops organised by different colleges/universities at regional and national levels and has presented papers in them. Purnendu Kumar (b. 1964), M.A. in Political Science from Magadh University and in Public Administration from North Eastern Hill University, Shillong was awarded Ph.D degree from Gauhati University for his dissertation on “Socio-Political Problems of Tea Garden Workers of Cachar”. Presently, he is serving as Senior Lecturer in Poitical Science, Cachar College, Silchar. Dr Kumar has participated in various seminars and workshops organised by different colleges, universities and prestigious institute and has contributed papers in the same.