Participation of Women in the Emerging Trade Union Activities in the Tea-Gardens of Assam

International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue III, March 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

 Participation of Women in the Emerging Trade Union Activities in the Tea-Gardens of Assam

Stutima Basistha¹, Moushumi Dutta Pathak^2
1Department of Sociology, Gauhati University (INDIA)
²Department of History, Arya Vidyapeeth College, Guwahati (INDIA)

Abstract: One of the most popular known beverages in the world is tea. Tea industry is one of the oldest industries in India and also one of the biggest industries in the country. In India if we see tea is grown basically in two regions- North-East and South. A larger portion of tea is produced in Assam and North Bengal while in other states like Sikkim, Tripura, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya, and Mizoram, production is on a lesser scale. The state which has the highest area under tea cultivation and is also the largest producer of tea in India is Assam. Sonitpur is one of the thirty three districts of Assam. It is an administrative district in the state of Assam. Its economy is basically an agrarian one and its one of the most unique feature is the existence of large number of tea gardens. Both Brahmaputra and Barak valley in Assam has tea gardens. The purpose of this study is to look into the role of trade unions in Sonitpur District of Assam, India, and to analyze the participation of women workers in union related activities.
The story of the tea plantation laborers is a less talked topic. Much less discussed is the role of the women tea laborers who constitutes a large working force. Even after having social, historical and anthropological importance, research work on the role and contribution of women tea laborers’ of Sonitpur District is a rarely found topic and also not much work has been carried out about the tea laborers of Sonitpur District and has not gained much significance in the field of research. Women’s position in the tea plantation has always remained a disadvantaged one and their labor never got recognized as the planters were much more interested in using women as a reproducer of labor which would help them in generating a stable work force in the long run.

Keywords- Tea, Tea Gardens, Trade Union, Labour, Women

I.INTRODUCTION

Tea industry plays an important role in the national economy as it is a primary foreign exchange earner and its contribution to the national exchequer cannot be underestimated [1].After India got independence, many important changes took place in the tea industry of Assam. In post-Independence period, significant changes began to take place in the tea industry of Assam. Many historical developments like the threat of Japanese invasion through Burma during World War II and Indian independence led to a new situation where English planters were replaced by Indian management [2].

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