January 2025 fieldwork in Darjeeling

A research team led by myself and Prof. Subrata Sankar Bagchi from the University of Calcutta (Alex from ORT and my colleague at Hubei Minzu University is part of it) embarked on a mission in January 2025 in Darjeeling and the Dooars Region of North-east India. This is just an initial trip to discover and unmask the problems and future possibilities of Tea production in this historic region. Small growers in Darjeeling are now slowly emerging out of the old structures of domination to which they were were subjected since the time the British established the first tea estates here. They are switching now to careful production of tea, sustainable and organic agriculture to enhance productivity of the old plants and protect the environment, and most importantly to autonomous economy, social welfare and mutual help in face of a common destiny. We witnessed many beautiful stories of emancipation of farmers from indentured or forced labor to huge tea estates, which still have a powerful lobby in the local industry and government. But also sad stories of hardship and suffering of farmers who sweat blood on the fields every day without much social welfare, and a ridiculous stipend. Three of the motives of otpimism and happiness from our ethnographic survey were: Yanki Small Growers Welfare Association, established recently with increasing success by a courageous lady and her family in Mirik; Small Tea Growers Welfare Society, another cooperative of small tea producers in Sittong, on the mountains overlooking the Kanchenjunga, entirely Lepcha people; and finally a beautiful Lepcha Independent School for disadvantaged people, founded by Yusuf Lepcha, a local philantropist and entrepreneur, who preserve Lepcha language in their curriculum and cultivate tea with mindfulness. We also had the privilege, in Siliguri, at the bottom of the hills, to meet with tea entrepreneur Rajah Banerjee, a vulcanic personality committed to the preservation of Darjeeling tea in a totally organic way, and to people's welfare.

Hope to relate something more about this fieldwork at the earliest occasion

stay tuned

Giacomo from the Hermitage Tea Retreat

Enshi, Hubei Province.