The Human Cost of Tea: India's Exploited Plantation Workers.

Summary

This video delves into the harsh realities of tea plantation workers in India, highlighting their low wages, poor living conditions, and susceptibility to human trafficking. Despite India's global standing as a top tea producer, workers endure a life of hardship. The script also touches on the historical context of tea cultivation in India, the impact of China's resurgence in tea production, and the subsequent decline of some Indian tea estates, leading to increased vulnerability of workers to exploitation.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Tea is the world's most widely consumed beverage after water, with a rich history and significant impact on global trade.
• 🇮🇳 India is a top producer and exporter of tea, known for varieties like Darjeeling and Assam, which are globally renowned.
• 🌿 Tea plantations in India are picturesque but mask the harsh realities faced by workers, including low wages and poor living conditions.
• 🏡 Workers live in modest houses with basic amenities, often with multiple family members crowded into small spaces.
• 💔 The risk of human trafficking is high in these areas, with many young girls and women being deceived and sold.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Some families are allowed to live on the plantations, but this comes with its own set of challenges and limitations.
• 📉 The tea industry in India is facing a decline, with some plantations closing down and leaving workers without jobs or income.
• 🏭 The closure of tea estates leads to unemployment and increased vulnerability to exploitation for the workers left behind.
• 🚨 Human trafficking agents prey on the desperation of workers, offering false promises of better lives and employment.
• 🌱 The story of tea in India is not just about the beverage but also about the human cost behind its production and the challenges faced by those who work in the industry.

Q & A

What is the significance of tea in global history and its current status?

Tea is the world's most widely consumed beverage after water and has played a significant role in global history. Today, it remains a staple, with India being one of the top producers and exporters of tea, known for varieties like Darjeeling and Assam.

What are the living conditions of tea plantation workers in India?

Tea plantation workers in India endure a poor quality of life, with low wages, danger, and the risk of being deceived. They often live in small, modest houses made of exposed brick with mixed soil and rocks for floors, and they have to use plastic sheets to stay dry during rain.

Why are families allowed to live on the tea plantations?

Tea plantations require that each family has only one working member, but they allow those workers to bring their families to live with them. This provides a means of support for the workers and their families, even though the living conditions are modest.

What is the situation of a young girl living on a tea plantation who does not work?

The young girl, whose father used to work on the plantation, lives there but does not work. When her father became too old, he passed on the right to work to his eldest son. The girl's family, including her parents and siblings, live together in a modest dwelling on the plantation.

How does human trafficking affect the tea plantation communities in India?

Human trafficking is a significant issue in tea plantation communities in India, with many young girls being deceived by traffickers. The victims are often lured by promises of a better life, only to find themselves in exploitative situations. This is exacerbated by poverty and a lack of education.

What was the historical context that led to the establishment of tea plantations in Assam?

Nearly 200 years ago, the British, concerned about relying too heavily on Chinese tea, began exploring suitable areas for tea production in their colonies, including India. They discovered natural wild tea trees in Assam and started the process of transforming the region into a tea-producing area.

How has the tea industry in India evolved over time, and what is its current status?

India was the world's leading tea producer for over a century, but in recent years, China has reclaimed its position as the top tea producer. This has impacted several tea plantations in Assam, leading to a lack of working capital, an inability to pay wages, and gradual closures.

What challenges do tea plantations face due to the decline in the tea business?

Tea plantations are struggling to survive due to the decline in the tea business. They have had to halt operations temporarily to reduce expenses, leading to unemployment and a lack of essential services like education and healthcare for the workers.

How does the geographical location of Assam contribute to human trafficking issues?

Assam's location along the border adjoining Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh has made the area a hub for human trafficking. Traffickers exploit the desperation of the impoverished, offering false promises of better lives and employment in big cities.

What is the impact of the closure of tea plantations on the workers and their families?

The closure of tea plantations brings great hardship to the workers and their families. Many are left unemployed, and those who are elderly or lack skills in other fields have difficulty finding work elsewhere. This situation also creates opportunities for unscrupulous agents to exploit the vulnerable.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Life on Tea Plantations in India

This paragraph introduces the significance of tea as a global commodity and its historical impact. It highlights India's role as a major tea producer, particularly of Darjeeling and Assam teas. The narrative shifts to reveal the harsh realities faced by tea plantation workers in India, including poor living conditions, low wages, and the risk of exploitation. The paragraph paints a vivid picture of the tea plantations' beauty and the workers' struggle, exemplified by the story of a young girl whose father was a worker and her own encounter with human trafficking, which was fortunately averted with her family's intervention.

05:03

📉 The Plight of Tea Plantation Workers and the Legacy of Colonialism

The second paragraph delves into the historical context of tea cultivation in India, initiated by the British to reduce dependence on Chinese tea. It discusses the establishment of tea estates in Assam and the lifestyle imposed on the workers, including a rigid routine and limited access to basic amenities. The paragraph also addresses the decline of the tea industry in Assam, leading to financial struggles, wage delays, and the closure of tea estates. This decline has exacerbated the vulnerability of workers to human trafficking, with traffickers exploiting the poor with false promises of a better life.

10:03

🌐 The Global Tea Industry and Its Impact on Local Communities

This paragraph contrasts the global success of the tea industry with the local challenges faced by tea plantation workers in India. It notes the shift in tea production leadership from India to China and the impact of this change on Indian tea plantations. The narrative focuses on the economic hardships that have led to a rise in human trafficking, with agents exploiting the desperation of workers with promises of higher wages. The paragraph also describes the harsh realities faced by those deceived, including forced labor and sexual exploitation, and the social stigma that prevents families from reporting these crimes.

15:05

🏭 The Closure of Tea Estates and Its Consequences

The fourth paragraph describes the consequences of tea estate closures due to economic challenges. It discusses the unemployment and despair that result when tea estates shut down, leaving workers with no means of support. The paragraph tells the story of a worker who had to leave his family behind to find work elsewhere and his subsequent struggle to find his missing wife and daughter, who were likely deceived by traffickers. It highlights the lack of government assistance and the desperation that drives workers to cling to their abandoned tea estates, even without employment.

20:10

🌿 The Human Cost of the Tea Industry

The final paragraph emphasizes the human cost behind the tea industry's economic contributions. It points out that despite tea being a significant part of India's GDP, the workers who harvest the tea leaves live in poverty, often without access to healthcare or education. The paragraph concludes by urging consumers to consider the hardships endured by the workers who produce the tea they enjoy, suggesting that the bitterness of tea pales in comparison to the struggles of those who pick the leaves.

Keywords

💡Tea Plantation

A tea plantation is a large-scale agricultural enterprise where tea is cultivated and harvested. In the context of the video, tea plantations in India, particularly in Assam, are highlighted for their significant role in the global tea market. These plantations are not only economic hubs but also home to workers and their families, illustrating the video's theme of the human aspect behind tea production.

💡Assam Tea

Assam tea refers to the black tea grown in the northeastern state of Assam, India. Known for its robust flavor and strong aroma, it holds a prestigious position in the global tea market. The video underscores the exceptional quality of Assam tea and the harsh realities faced by the workers who cultivate it.

💡Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is the illegal trade of human beings for the purposes of forced labor or sexual exploitation. The video script reveals that the impoverished conditions around tea plantations make them vulnerable to human trafficking, where agents deceive and exploit workers, particularly young girls, with false promises of better lives.

💡Poverty

Poverty is the state of being extremely poor. The video emphasizes the link between poverty and the exploitation of tea plantation workers, who often live in substandard conditions and receive low wages. It also shows how poverty can lead individuals to become victims of human trafficking.

💡Labor Exploitation

Labor exploitation refers to the unfair treatment of workers, often involving low wages, poor working conditions, and lack of rights. The video script describes how tea plantation workers are subject to exploitation, with long hours, low pay, and dangerous work environments, highlighting the darker side of the tea industry.

💡British Empire

The British Empire had a significant impact on the establishment of tea plantations in India. The video recounts how the British, seeking to reduce reliance on Chinese tea, initiated tea cultivation in Assam, which eventually led to the flourishing of the Indian tea industry. This historical context is crucial for understanding the origins and development of tea plantations.

💡Tea Estates

Tea estates are the specific areas within plantations where tea is grown and processed. The video describes these estates as self-contained communities with residential facilities, healthcare, and schools, emphasizing the all-encompassing nature of life on a tea plantation.

💡Economic Hardship

Economic hardship refers to difficult financial circumstances. The video illustrates how economic challenges have led to the closure of tea estates, resulting in unemployment and increased vulnerability to human trafficking for the workers and their families.

💡Cultural Significance

The cultural significance of tea in India is highlighted in the video, where tea consumption is deeply ingrained in the daily lives and traditions of the people. The script mentions 'garamchai,' a strong black tea prepared with milk and spices, which is a beloved national beverage, showcasing the cultural importance of tea beyond its economic value.

💡Global Tea Market

The global tea market is the international trade of tea. The video discusses how India, once the leading tea producer, faces competition from China and other countries, affecting the livelihoods of tea plantation workers. This global context is essential for understanding the economic pressures faced by the tea industry in India.

💡Human Rights

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms to which all individuals are entitled. The video script implicitly raises concerns about human rights violations, particularly in the context of labor conditions and human trafficking, emphasizing the need for ethical practices in the tea industry.

Highlights

Tea is the world's most widely consumed beverage after water, with a rich history.

India is a top producer and exporter of tea, known for Darjeeling and Assam varieties.

Tea harvesting relies solely on human hands, indicating labor-intensive processes.

Tea plantation workers in India face poor living conditions, low wages, and risks of deception.

Assam's tea plantations are located in the Himalayan foothills, known for their exceptional tea quality.

Workers are required to live within the plantation, often in small, modest houses with basic amenities.

A family of seven lives on a daily wage of 160 rupees, lower than India's minimum wage.

Human trafficking is a significant issue in tea plantation areas, affecting one in three worker families.

Poverty drives many to fall for deceptive promises of better lives, leading to exploitation.

The British Empire's historical efforts to establish tea production in India led to the creation of tea estates.

Assam tea's success led India to become the world's leading tea producer for over a century.

China has recently overtaken India as the top tea producer, impacting Indian tea plantations' economic stability.

Many tea estates in Assam are struggling financially, leading to temporary closures and worker layoffs.

The decline in tea business has resulted in inadequate social services like healthcare and education for workers.

Human trafficking agents exploit the desperation of plantation workers, promising high wages and better lives.

Victims of trafficking face harsh realities, including forced labor, sexual exploitation, and abuse.

The closure of tea plantations has left workers with few options, leading to reliance on government assistance that often fails to arrive.

The tea industry's economic importance contrasts with the plight of workers, highlighting a need for better conditions and awareness.

Transcripts

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[Music]

tea is the world's most widely consumed

beverage after water and has played a

significant role in global history

from the very first cup thousands of

years ago to the present day one thing

remains unchanged

harvesting tea leaves relies solely on

human hands

India is one of the world's top

producers and exporters of tea renowned

Rich Darjeeling and Assam varieties

which are well known among tea drinkers

globally

behind the captivating bitter taste and

Rich aromatic fragrance however lies the

life of a tea plantation worker in India

a poor quality of life low wages danger

and the risk of being deceived are all

endured by Plantation workers

[Music]

okay

[Music]

the sunlight hits the tender tea leaves

until they shine neat rows of green tea

bushes stretch into the distance

cascading down the Mountainside

tall trees are interspersed throughout

the plantation creating a shaded and

orderly landscape resembling a

picturesque dream

the Northeastern State of Assam in India

is in the foothills of the Himalayas

where tea is grown extensively

Assam tea holds a renowned Global

reputation for its exceptional quality

and distinctiveness

at around this hour of the day the Tea

Plantation is rather quiet

apart from being after working hours

operations here have almost come to a

halt

the young girl covers her head and mouth

with a shawl leaving only her sad

expression exposed

she lives on the Tea Plantation but does

not work

tea plantations require that each family

has only one working member but they

allow those workers to bring their

families to live with them

her father used to work here but when he

became too old to continue he passed on

the right to work to his eldest son who

is married

on the vast Tea Plantation spanning

thousands of acres in this hilly region

workers are required to live in

accommodations within the plantation

despite the Grandeur and beauty of the

plantation the workers accommodations

are very small modest houses made of

exposed brick and a floor of mixed soil

and rocks

the walls have holes for doorways but

nothing to close them

when the rain pours people inside the

Huts have to use plastic sheets in an

attempt to stay dry

inside the house there's only a gas

stove cheap plastic tables and chairs

old clothes strewn on small wooden racks

and a broken bicycle leaning against the

wall

although it may be basic it still holds

value for the family

the girl's father mother elder brother

and entire family of seven crowd

together in this modest dwelling

the main source of income comes from

just one person earning a daily wage of

160 rupees that's approximately two US

Dollars while the minimum wage in India

is 177 rupees

a turning point in their life came when

their friend persuaded her to work as a

caregiver for the sick in the city

innocently she decided to go with her

friend only to discover that her friend

had been deceived by a human trafficker

foreign

taking care of the sick turned out to be

being confined in a narrow dark room

waiting to be transported elsewhere

she still had enough awareness however

to send a message to her elder brother

before it was too late

he informed the local police and local

ngos who came to help in time

the five days of confinement were filled

with fear and her family's anxiety

especially for her mother who counted

every second until her child returned

foreign

[Music]

a staff member of a non-governmental

organization working to assist victims

of trafficking said that there are many

cases of young girls being deceived here

one in three of every Plantation workers

family faces this issue

um

foreign

states in India

for underprivileged girls who lack

education and are naive to the world

lipstick a beautiful hairstyle or a new

outfit are enough to make them feel

content and willing to comply

some are deceived like the girls who

willingly engage in conversation with us

while others are sold by their parents

to agents

some even voluntarily join due to the

common underlying reason poverty

many have been rescued and provided with

assistance only to be lured back when

new agents arrive offering Promises of

Better Lives

clothes food money and a more

comfortable life are offered by agents

dressed in flashy attire and captivating

jewelry

sweet words are whispered painting a

better and brighter future

it doesn't require much contemplation by

these girls to yearn for an escape from

the harshness they endure

[Music]

nearly 200 years ago due to concerns

about relying too heavily on Chinese tea

tea hungry Brits began exploring

suitable areas for tea production in

their colonies such as India their goal

was to create jobs establish a market in

India and generate revenue for the

British Empire

when natural wild tea trees were

discovered in the northern part of Assam

the process of transforming the Sam into

a tea producing region began though

challenging British explorers

successfully combined local knowledge

with the expertise of Chinese tea

Growers

after four years of effort the first

batch of tea from Assam entered the

market delighting consumers with its

distinctive flavor

in the remote Hills of Assam Tea

Plantation known as tea Estates have

been established to attract Indian

laborers

there are over forty thousand tea

Estates scattered throughout Assam

forming small kingdoms

they consist of Office Buildings tea

factories residential houses Healthcare

facilities and schools

basic communities such as water and

electricity are provided free of charge

anyone who lives Within These Estates

must wake up eat work and sleep on a

fixed routine

with a favorable geography and climate

coupled with an industrialized

production system and transportation

infrastructure developed by the British

Assam tea has flourished eventually

surpassing Chinese tea India had been

the world's leading tea producer for

over a century

tea consumption has become an integral

part of the lives and culture of the

people in India spreading throughout the

country

garamchai a black tea with a strong

flavor is traditionally prepared with

milk and various spices according to

Regional preferences becoming a beloved

National beverage known for its

intoxicating aroma

in recent years however China has

successfully reclaimed its position as

the top tea producer

and has begun to challenge India's

dominance in tea production and exports

this has had a significant impact on

several tea plantations in Assam leading

to a lack of working capital and an

inability to pay wages resulting in

gradual closures

these tea Estates are struggling to

survive

the estate managers explained that the

tea business has been in Decline for

many years

and their solution has been to Halt

operations temporarily to reduce

expenses

while they haven't completely shut down

yet only a small portion of the

workforce about 1 300 people is still

employed

the school for the children of

Plantation workers remains open but

there are no teachers available due to

the lack of pay

the small and dilapidated hospital is

quiet and desolate with only one

resident nurse

doctor's visit once a week for a brief

two-hour checkup

so sea Garden I'll tell you sea Garden

means

Garden which is weaker in economic

conditions OK it's unable to keep

properly payment to people they are

unable to deposit their money to The

Provident fund office okay and then they

are unable to give gravity tragedy you

know gratitude money

so since 2005 onwards

people have not received their gadgets

some people have already died also

really yeah they have they are unable to

take out their graduity money because

they have died working here they got

retired after a few years they died

so many families are there they have

become victimized of this I mean

condition

[Music]

the somber atmosphere on the two Estates

directly affects the workers and even

though they were already receiving low

wages now some of them are unemployed

furthermore due to its location along

the border adjoining Nepal Bhutan and

Bangladesh the area has become a hub for

human trafficking the victims are

predominantly female both children and

adults

agents travel in and out engaging in

both legitimate trade and deceiving

those who are desperate and hopeless

they offer wonderful promises and

glamorous pledges claiming that if they

travel to the big cities they'll find

employment with the minimum salary of 8

000 rupees or 97 US dollars per month

while languishing in the tier States

it's unsurprising that they choose this

option

when somebody is taken when a girl is

taken to like Delhi

the agent who takes her okay now when

she is given to some placement office

he immediately gets twenty thousand or

thirty thousand rupees as a bonus for

bringing that girl okay now the agents

those who are doing continues this work

they cut money from their payments

suppose if they are getting 8 000 salary

4000 will be deducted to displacement I

mean this agent who is taking the I mean

person for working okay and then the

remaining five thousand he will be

getting or she will be getting

okay

so this is how they have made

the human trafficking operation Works

systematically fueled by the hopes of

the impoverished

once the negotiations are successful the

victims reluctantly embark on the

journey

the promises soon become just empty

words

from the tier States they are either

sent to low-wage labor or forced into

the sex trade

furthermore they're deceived into

marrying men from other states with the

possibility of elaborate wedding

ceremonies

after the wedding and settling into

their husbands homes however they become

enslaved and are mistreated by every

male member of the family

we have also I mean learned

that uh one woman one lady who is

married to one family that woman is

shared with five brothers

okay

five brothers they

feel as a product ok

and then these five people are five

brothers they use one lady

in that lady those villages

I mean what they do this haryani people

not only there are some more other

states and villages they come over here

they marry okay and they go

and once they are taken there they I

mean that that beloved that wife or that

girl or that lady becomes wife of so

many brothers or so there

the unfortunate level of repetition of

loved ones whether they be Sons or

daughters being deceived and

disappearing with agencies distressing

in most cases family members choose not

to report the incidents fearing the

consequences of making a big issue of it

they are afraid of their neighbors

finding out and worried about facing

social stigma as these matters are still

sensitive in Indian Society

if you want to see more great content

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[Music]

China is now the largest tea producer in

the world producing approximately 1.7

million tons per year accounting for

about 35 of Global Production

India follows closely behind with nearly

11 percent

when it comes to exports however Sri

Lanka ranks first followed by China

Kenya and India

this is because India consumes a

significant portion of its tea

production domestically

more than half of India's tea comes from

Assam which remains an important

cultivation region but it has passed its

golden era

[Music]

the entrance gate to the tea Factory is

left partially open one can Glimpse the

deteriorating sign hanging Beneath The

partially collapsed roof

abandoned cars lie lifeless in front of

the blue door covered in tall grass and

wheat

although there are still wire fences in

place the factory has been abandoned for

several years

this tea estate has been permanently

closed due to economic hardship

600 workers were made unemployed

the infrastructure such as Office

Buildings and warehouses remains as it

was but there are no longer any workers

there is some movement around the

workers housing area their attachment to

the tier state is not born out of

loyalty but rather because they have

nowhere else to go

an auntie a 30 year old had been working

here for many years

he had his mother wife and four-year-old

daughter living together in the staff

quarters

the family lived in this situation until

the day the tea estate closed an auntie

made the decision to leave home and find

work in another state while his mother

wife and young daughter remained in the

staff quarters on the deer state

an antisense money back home every month

although it may not be much it's enough

on which to survive

one day an auntie received distressing

news from home that his wife and

daughter had gone missing

um

foreign

[Music]

Ty had been informed the young man quit

his job and returned home to search for

his wife and child he inquired

tirelessly until he got a lead

indicating that they may have been

deceived by an agent and taken to a

nearby town

an anti-winter report to the police with

hopes that they would help Trace them

and bring his wife and child back his

hopes faded as there was no news or

progress whatsoever

he decided to search on his own

traveling to various places where people

claimed to have seen his loved ones

during his search an auntie knew well

that he had limited education and could

easily be deceived himself

so he brought along a friend to help in

the search which increased their

expenses

with the little money they had saved and

Auntie had to sell his last possession

the cow he had raised as an investment

to support the search for his wife and

child

although he had nothing left an anti

will never stop searching for the two

most important people in his life

[Music]

one year had passed and there was still

no Trace

the house was left untouched swept and

maintained

the clothes shoes and the household

items of his wife and child are kept

carefully the pink dress with golden

embroidery belonging to his little

daughter was hung on a pillar waiting

for the day when his owner would come

back to wear it again

the closure of the Tea Plantation

brought great hardship to the workers

not everyone was young or strong enough

to find work elsewhere

many of them were elderly workers who

had spent their entire lives on the Tea

Plantation their physical condition was

not at its best in addition they lacked

knowledge and expertise in other fields

of work

deepankar gosh one of the Union

Representatives mentioned that when

there was nowhere to go people had to

rely on government assistance

even that help never arrived

um

foreign

[Music]

tations and those who remained live in

despair

it became a golden opportunity for

unscrupulous agents

amidst the vast tea plantations it

wasn't just the tea leaves that were

harvested

there were also countless impoverished

and destitute individuals exploited for

the benefit of the human trafficking

industry

tea is an important economic crop in

India with its production accounting for

four percent of the country's GDP

there are approximately three million

people employed in the tea industry most

of whom are living in poverty lacking

health care and education

while enjoying a cup of fragrant tea how

many people actually think of the hands

that picked the tea leaves

they work hard receive minimal wages

and are often deceived

even the tea they drink daily is made

with the tea leaves discarded during the

production process

the taste of tea may be bitter

but the taste of the plantation worker's

life is even more so

[Music]