My project for course: Memoir Writing: Write a Personal Story for a Universal Audience

Slaves in Tea Plantations: The Forgotten Histories of Assam

Sitting at the breakfast table, sipping a cup of tea while scanning the morning newspaper could be the most ideal start to the day for many of us. But what if I told you that sugar and tea—two staples of our morning routine—are products steeped in a history of blood and oppression? These commodities not only altered the world’s demographic landscape but also erased 70% of the world’s biodiversity and countless indigenous tribes, leaving behind stories that have been all but forgotten.

While the atrocities of slavery in sugar and cotton plantations have been extensively studied and criticized, the history of slavery in tea plantations, especially in Assam, remains largely obscured. In the Western world, slavery is a subject of ongoing discourse and condemnation. But in Assam, nestled in the northeastern part of India, the brutal realities of the tea plantations are buried deep within the forgotten pages of history.

The laborers, derogatorily referred to as “coolies” by their colonial masters, were subjected to inhumane conditions. They lived in brutal and harsh environments, with little to no regard for their dignity or well-being. Yet, the local Assamese elite remained largely indifferent to their plight, more interested in exploiting the opportunities presented by the tea planters and the colonial government. Some even rose to become tea planters themselves, perpetuating the cycle of exploitation.

The Origins of the Tea Laborers

After Robert Bruce and his brother discovered wild tea plants in the dense jungles of Upper Assam, the East India Company, reeling from losses in tea trading with China, saw an opportunity. They initially brought in Chinese laborers from Singapore, labeling them as “Tea Planters” rather than laborers, perhaps to mask the reality of their exploitation. However, these workers were soon deemed unsuitable by the British officers, who claimed they were only good for tea tasting and little else.

As the days passed, the demands and salaries of these Chinese workers began to rise, becoming a burden on the company. Many fled the plantations, leaving the British in dire need of a new labor force. They turned to the local Assamese population, but the locals, who had enough land and cultivation to sustain themselves, were not interested in working as laborers. Frustrated, the British reached out to the Naga tribes, known for their hardiness and bravery. While the Nagas initially helped clear the jungles for tea plantations, they refused to work long-term under such oppressive conditions.

The Influx of 'Coolies' from Outside Assam

Realizing the insufficiency of local labor, the British devised a more sinister solution. They began importing large numbers of laborers from other parts of India, particularly from the tribal areas of present-day Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, and West Bengal. These people were deceived with false promises of good wages and better living conditions, only to find themselves trapped in a brutal system of forced labor upon arrival in Assam. They were shipped in like commodities, often in overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, reminiscent of the transatlantic slave trade.

Once in Assam, these "coolies" were forced to work in the tea plantations under deplorable conditions. They lived in isolated, overcrowded barracks, far from their families and homes. The labor was backbreaking, with long hours under the scorching sun, inadequate food, and constant surveillance by the British overseers. Those who tried to escape or resist were met with brutal punishment, ensuring that fear kept them in line.

Despite their contributions to the tea industry, these laborers were stripped of their identities, heritage, and basic human rights. They were reduced to mere cogs in the machinery of colonial profit, their lives and stories erased from the annals of history.

A Legacy of Exploitation

The history of tea plantations in Assam is not just a story of economic development; it is a tale of systematic exploitation and dehumanization. The coolies were not just laborers; they were victims of a brutal system that valued profit over people, industry over humanity. Their stories, like the tea they harvested, are steeped in bitterness—a bitterness that lingers long after the last sip.

It is crucial that we remember and honor these forgotten histories. The tea plantations of Assam are more than just picturesque landscapes; they are the graves of countless lives, buried beneath the weight of a colonial legacy that continues to haunt us to this day.