Tea Tribes are lagging behind in the Process of Urbanization: A Study on Selected Tea Gardens of Jorhat District, Assam

Tea is a popular beverage around the world. Peopleconsume tea irrespective of ages or classes. Tea industry isthe crucial part of Indian economy and among the teaproducing states of India, Assam is well knowninternationally since long back. It is a labour intensiveindustry and highly dependent on a large workforce. It is theonly sector where majority of the workers are female.About two million labourers are dependent onAssam’s Tea industry and almost all of whom are thedescendents of those who were brought to Assam as slaves byEast India Company mostly from Jharkhand and Orissa.The descendents of those slaves are now called tea tribes.The sacrifice, toil and hard work of these labourers gaveshape to the tea industry of Assam. However, the storybehind the tea cultivation, plucking and processing of tealeaves in the plantations is one of exploitation and untoldhardships for the tea labourers. These labourers are stillliving with the basic facilities provided by the Tea Plantersor Companies. Poor standard of living and lack of education,health facilities etc. are main problems of tea labourers. Thispaper will highlight how tea tribes or tea labourers are faraway from the fruits of urbanization and living their lives invulnerable conditions. Here attempt is made to measureurbanization among labourers based on their standard ofliving. Though urbanization has a vast dimension, the studyattempts to limit it within health status, education, familyplanning, women empowerment etc.The study uses both primary and secondary data.Primary data are collected from the field with the help ofquestionnaire. Books, journals and websites are source ofsecondary data. The study has focused on the life of teagarden workers. Their standard of living is traced with someselected parameters. Observing field data and secondarydata the study reveals that tea garden workers are still invery deprive condition. They are far away from theurbanized society and living an isolated life.