Kitchen gardens on tea gardens - grow your own

this from The Telegraph (Calcutta), by Barnali Handique

Guwahati, May 22: Women in 18 tea gardens in Golaghat district have found a way to fight anaemia by raising kitchen gardens in their homes.

“The basic idea behind starting the ‘kitchen garden’ project is to increase the intake of vegetables among tea garden workers. Prevalence of anaemia among the women is especially high, which can lead to complications in pregnant women during childbirth. Vegetables in all forms are rich in vital nutrients that help in regeneration of blood cells in the body. Therefore, we are trying to promote intake of vegetables in their regular diet,” said Swakhyar Deka, media expert of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Golaghat.

This project was devised by the health mission, Golaghat, under its kitchen garden project.

Though the project was initially launched in Doria tea estate on an experimental basis in 2009, its effectiveness made the mission extend it to 17 more tea gardens this year. The project targets at least 150 households in each tea garden.

The NRHM, Golaghat, is currently implementing this project under a public-private partnership (PPP) mode with the respective management of these 18 tea gardens. Besides, Golaghat is the only district where this project has been launched.

According to an estimate by the Indian Council of Medical Research, about 90 per cent of women in tea gardens of the state are anaemic. Anaemia is also a major cause of concern among pregnant women belonging to the tea workers community.

“In the initial stage, we arrange for seeds and saplings of vegetables like papaya, beans, green chillies, brinjal and water gourd to be planted in a seedbed on the campus of a tea garden hospital. Once these seeds germinate, the young plants are then distributed among the beneficiaries residing in the particular tea garden so that they can raise a small kitchen garden in their own backyard. Bamboo is also provided to every household for fencing their gardens,” Deka said.

Before implementing the project in a specific tea estate, the NRHM officials also conducted sensitisation workshops to educate the workers of the tea garden on the necessity of consuming a nutritional diet to boost their immunity. They also collected blood samples of women aged between 15 years and 45 years for a haemoglobin test to monitor the rate of anaemia after the actual implementation of the project.

The NRHM officials claimed that the particular project had yielded the desired results by boosting the level of awareness among the target population.

“The feedback has shown that people in tea estates have accepted the concept of kitchen garden and more individuals have approached us asking for seeds and saplings to raise a similar garden. This is what has made us expand the project from Doria tea estate to 17 other tea gardens. We have also managed to reach our target population of 150 households in tea estates,” said Deka.

Moves to increase tourism in Assam - and I can't wait to go!

this from the Times of India

GUWAHATI: With tourism one of the top priorities of the new government in the state, Dispur has approached the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for financial assistance to build infrastructure on a par with international standards.

State tourism department principal secretary Himangshu Sekhar Das said a proposal for getting financial aid has been submitted to the ADB recently. He added that chief minister Tarun Gogoi, during a meeting with bureaucrats, has made tourism development one of the top four priorities of his new government. Gogoi has planned to go in a big way to promote tourism for generating employment. ADB has been financing infrastructure development in the state.

On Thursday, Parliament`s Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) approved the project proposal of ADB-assisted road project for six northeastern states, including Assam. Under the project, a 433-km long road will be constructed and renovated at an estimated cost of Rs 1353.83 crore. The implementation period is from 2011 to 2016.

At present, Sikkim is the only state in the northeast which is getting financial assistance in the tourism sector from the ADB. Das said Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu are the other states enjoying the benefit.

"Last week, we sent a preliminary proposal to ADB country mission director, seeking inclusion of the tourism sector in the state for financial assistance. The proposal seeks infrastructure development in the tourism sector," he added. He said once this is done, it would help in developing international standard tourism infrastructure in the state.

"Once we start getting financial assistance from ADB, the infrastructure will be developed on a par with international standards," explained Das. The tourism department has recently formed Assam Tourism Council to implement state`s policy.

Das said 50 per cent of the members in the council are from government departments. The rest are tour operators and hoteliers. The council will pave the way for tourism development through consultation and active participation from different stakeholders and departments.

Former executive director of Sikkim Tourism Development Corporation, P K Dong, who was instrumental in tourism development in his state, said Assam is fast emerging as a tourism destination.

Tea output rises in March

This from the Telegraph of Calcutta (Kolkata), by a staff reporter

Calcutta, May 8: Tea production in March saw an upswing of around 16 per cent to 56.73 million kg compared with 49 million kg produced during the same period last year.

Exports, however, fell to 11.9 million kg from 23.49 million kg last year.

According to latest data published by the Tea Board, higher production was largely on the back of higher output in Assam.

Production in the Assam valley was 21.37 million kg against 12.67 million kg produced in March 2010. Cachar production was 2.2 million kg compared with 2.1 million kg last year. Total Assam tea production stood at 23.66 million kg in March against 14.8 million kg during the same period last year.

During March, Darjeeling produced 0.5 million kg, while the output in the Dooars and Terai stood at 7.6 million kg and 6.1 million kg, respectively. Total production in Bengal registered a minor dip at 14.36 million kg against 15 million kg during March 2010.

Exports showed a negative trend and almost halved in March. In the first quarter of this year, estimated exports tea are said to be 39.62 million kg. — 22.70 million kg from North India and 16.92 million kg from the southern part of the country. In the January-March quarter last year, exports had touched 53.99 million kg.
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Assam Chai Bar to open in Guwahati

This from the Times of India, by Naresh Mitra

Incidentally one of my favourite teas, although in bags, is Twinings Chai

GUWAHATI: Sipping the favourite cuppa will soon be a different experience here as the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC) is all set to open an exclusive lounge bar for tea, where brew lovers can taste, enjoy and explore the state's diverse variety.

The lounge, named Assam Chai Bar, is expected to start from August this year. "Assam tea itself is a brand. The tea lounge bar is going to add a different taste. People can sit, sip and try out different flavours," said GTAC chairperson Ravi Capoor.

Capoor, who is also principal secretary of the industries and commerce department, said the tourism department would help in marketing the lounge bar. "The tourism department will help us by mentioning the lounge bar in its literature and publicity materials. Besides, there will be promotional campaigns. The basic objective is to promote our tea along with tourism in the state," added Capoor.

As Guwahati is the gateway and the economic hub of the Northeast, a number of people come here on business. The tea can be popularized among them as also foreign tourists. "Whenever people come to Guwahati, they look for the best of Assam teas. Many a time they do not find them in the market because they do not know the variety. The lounge bar will be a one-stop destination where different varieties of tea will be available," said Capoor.

From Assam orthodox and green teas to Crush Tear Curl (CTC) like second flush tea, autumnal tea and rainy season, the lounge bar will have it all. People will also get the opportunity to explore the differences in the flavours of Brahmaputra Valley, Barak Valley and Darjeeling tea. There will also facilities for Singpho tea at the bar.

With Assam tea getting a beating from Kenyan and Sri Lankan teas in the international market, Capoor felt the lounge bar would be a small step in promoting the state's beverage. Assam produces about 13 per cent of world tea and 52 per cent of Indian tea.

"Coffee bars are coming up everywhere. We need also to do something to promote Assam tea. Although tea lounge bars have come up in other cities, the one in Guwahati will be an exceptional one in terms of variety. The lounge bar will attract the young generation too," said chairperson of North Eastern Tea Association (NETA), Bidyananda Barkakoty, adding that the lounge bar will be managed by tea producers, buyers, brokers and warehouse associations.

"GTAC has been selected for the lounge bar because it is one of the oldest tea auction centres in the world. GTAC being the stakeholders of tea producers, buyers, brokers and warehouse keepers, it is the appropriate place for the lounge bar," he explained.

Capoor also informed that IIM, Shillong has been engaged to prepare a report on why GTAC is losing in the auction to Kolkata. Many tea producers in the state opt for selling directly in Kolkata instead of auctioneering at GTAC. "We have been persistently telling tea companies to sell tea through GTAC. The report will find out why tea is being diverted from GTAC and suggest remedial measures," Capoor said.

In 2009, 138.5 million kg tea was sold through GTAC. It came down to 130.36 million kg in 2010.

Gujaratis to sip 20% more Assam Tea

This reported in Daily News & Analysis, by Antika Pathak

Gujaratis are fond of tea. The bonding between the beverage and the people of the state is so strong that tea comes first to a person’s mind whatever the occasion may be.

That is perhaps why Gujarat accounts for the highest consumption of tea in India.

And looking at the current market, the consumption of tea, particularly Assam tea, in Gujarat is expected to rise. So Gujarat is going to order 20% more Assam tea by the year-end.

According to Ahmedabad Tea Merchant Association president HT Agrawal, 75% of tea consumed in Gujarat is being brought from Assam but since the demand for this particular tea is rising, the procurement amount will go up by 20%.

“We currently procure around 45 million kg tea from Assam, which is expected to increase to around 55 million kg,’’ he said.

He said almost 12% of Assam produce is procured by Gujarat. And from the auction centre at Guwahati, Gujarat procures around 60% of tea, said
Ashok Relia, adviser and senior committee member of the association.

While Gujarat gets 75% of its tea requirement from Assam, it gets the remaining quantity from the South and West Bengal. But since the demand for tea, particularly Assam tea, is rising, the price is also likely to go up.

“A rise of around Rs15 per kg is expected in Assam tea. Also, the production of good quality tea seems to have gone down and this is to push up the tea prices,” said Agrawal.

Assam produces best quality tea. That is why people of the state love it.

Association officials say while the demand is growing, the procurement is not keeping pace so the demand-supply mismatch will increase the prices by 5-10% in case of Assam tea by the year-end.

“The demand-supply mismatch would increase the price by 5-10%,” said Relia.

Currently, the prices of Assam tea are in the range of Rs185 per kg to Rs250 per kg.

With 65 million kg of tea, Gujarat accounts for 8% of tea consumed in India in a year. India consumes around 800 million kg in year.

“The per capita monthly consumption of tea in Gujarat has already increased from 1.2 kg to 1.4kg, and by the end of the year Gujarat’s tea consumption is likely to cross 70 million kg,’’ said Relia.

He said that Punjab, Chandigarh and J&K come next in tea consumption.

A delegation of 33 members of Ahmedabad Tea Merchant Association recently visited Assam to get first-hand knowledge about the production of various types of tea in the north-eastern state.

Fewer factories to be set up to improve quality of tea

This from the Calcutta Telegraph, by a staff reporter

Too many factories spoil brew
- Association plea for steps
A STAFF REPORTER

Jorhat, April 25: Cut-throat competition among factories in an attempt to produce more tea and coming up of at least 10 new bought leaf factories in the last few months have hit production of quality tea in Assam in recent times.

The Assam Bought Leaf Tea Manufacturers’ Association while apprising the state government of this has appealed to take necessary steps to check setting up of new factories so that quality tea could be produced.

“Setting up of these factories has resulted in demand for more green leaf and the increasing demand has forced small tea growers to pluck coarse leaves to make more money resulting in production of poor quality tea,” the chairman of the association, K. Sensowa, said in a letter to industries minister Pradyut Bordoloi a couple of days back.

Sensowa said despite the state industry department’s decision not to issue licences for setting of any bought leaf factory a few months back, at least 10 such factories had come up in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia and Golaghat districts in the last few months.

“It is surprising as to how these new factories have got their licences,” Sensowa said while talking to this correspondent.

There are 186 registered bought leaf factories in the state producing about 140 million kg of made tea per year which is about 30 per cent of total production of the state.

Blaming the bought leaf tea manufacturing factories for producing poor quality tea which has earned a bad name for Assam tea in recent years, the state industries department had decided to stop issuing licences for setting up of more such factories.

However, at least 10 new factories have come up in the last few months, which the industries department claims, have been set up on a temporary basis.

“These licences have been issued on a provisional manner,” a senior official of the industries department said.

Sensowa said there had been a shortage of green leaves and with the new factories coming up, the demand for green leaves had increased manifold.

“The result is that the small tea growers are providing coarse leaves to meet the growing demand and the quality of tea has deteriorated,” he said.

He said the restriction of issuing licences to bought leaf factories would stabilise the demand and supply of green leaf and would also help in producing good quality tea.

Sensowa also said there had been many instances when green leaves were transported for over 100km from the garden to the factory and this has resulted in production of poor quality tea.

“Only bought leaf factories are not responsible for such acts, several big companies are buying green leaves from small tea growers in a bid to produce more tea. These leaves are transported to a long distance. By the time the green leaves reach the factories, the leaves dry up thus hampering quality production,” Sensowa said.

The association has appealed to the government to take necessary steps to discourage such disturbing practices, especially by the organised sector which is spoiling the quality of tea and creating a bad name in the international market.

English tea drunk in New York for Royal Wedding

This from the New York Times 28 April 2011, by Jeremy Olshan


The whole world is going to teapot.

There's only one proper way to toast to the pomp and frenzy surrounding the royal couple as they tie the knot tomorrow: with a cup of English Breakfast tea.

The famed blend of Ceylon and Assam tea leaves is ideal for the 5 a.m. event, said Nicky Perry, owner of Tea & Sympathy in the West Village.

"It's what the queen herself drinks," she said. "She makes her own teas and travels with her own kettle, using nothing but Malvern [spring] water."

Unfortunately, many Americans are ill-informed about the details of tea, Perry lamented.

"American tea tastes as though it were pulled straight from Boston harbor," Perry said.

As for brands, Perry recommends, PG Tips or Yorkshire Gold.

"For God's sake, forget the Lipton," she said.

Article relating to Gillanders - should business houses be allowed to open banks

This in the Economic Times . It gives some history of the tea companies

The answer is "No". A business house " is a uniquely Indian expression. It is not common in other countries. By "business house" we refer to a loose conglomerate with ownership and control usually vesting with a family. The conglomerate almost always consists of multiple private and public companies, where the shareholdings of the controlling group/family can be very low or very high. "Business houses" are lineal descendants of "managing agencies" which dominated the business scene in British India. Andrew Yule, Gillanders Arbuthnot and so on were the fabled names. When Indians emerged as entrepreneurs, they imitated managing agencies and we had the emergence of Tata Sons , Birla Brothers and so on.

The managing agency system did at first serve a positive purpose as investors were reluctant to put their capital directly into companies not "backed" by well-known names. But over time, the maze of related party transactions among the different companies managed by a single "House" was rightly seen as inimical to good corporate governance and minority shareholders. Hence the Managing Agency system was abolished. But by this time, large interlocked conglomerates had become well-established.

In the sixties, the Hazari Commission and the Dutt Committee established the fact that the principal beneficiaries of the infamous permit-licence raj were these business houses who systematically pre-empted valuable licences that were sparingly doled out by our socialistic sarkar; they effectively sabotaged the entry of competitors. In the absence of free and easy entry for new entrepreneurs our economy became sclerotic; Indian consumers were forced to buy shoddy and expensive goods all coming from the same handful of powerful and influential business houses.

The control that business houses exercised over commercial banks (through pretty low shareholdings) resulted in even more insidious outcomes. A new entrepreneur who did not have connections to these families found himself or herself pretty much excluded from bank finance. Easy bank finance (without too many uncomfortable questions being asked) was also made available to the business houses to acquire controlling interest in several companies especially the ones that British capital was pulling out of.

That is why many economists opposed to "social control" and later bank nationalisation went along with these decisions as serving a second order optimisation purpose-by eliminating the vice that resulted from the interlocking of banking with commerce. This, incidentally has been the governing principle for banking permissions in the US where there has been an abiding fear that banks are already very powerful and letting them into the world of commerce would lead to unacceptable levels of concentration of power that would be inimical to the political economy of a democratic republic. To this day, General Electric has not been granted a banking licence precisely for this reason.

The proposal to grant banking licences to Indian business houses is bad policy given the history of our country as any cursory reading of the Hazari and Dutt reports will show. It will reinforce the unhealthy trends of crony capitalism that we see so much of. It will result in the creation of gigantic Zaibatsu houses a la Japan. It will definitely dampen new entrepreneurship as cozy inter-connected clubs like to keep out upstarts. The argument that only large business houses have capital is a weak one. World-class banks like HDFC Bank , Axis Bank and ICICI Bank have emerged without such backing. At this point in time in our history, let us not give in to the phony arguments of crony capitalist ideologues.

(Jaithirth Rao has been a banker, an IT entrepreneur and now runs a company that provides low- cost housing.
A regular in the newspaper commentary space, his calling card is iconoclasm)

Web site for the annual Assam Tea Tourism Festival

I would love to go to this.

Assam Tea Tourism Festival

I know it is also possible to do tours of tea gardens and even stay at some while visiting the region.

Another web site with information on Gillanders and a photo showing Jutlibari TE with ISO 9001

Follow the link as the image is copyrighted

Deccan Herald reporter visits Shillong

I came across this story of the Deccan Herald reporter, Bharati Motwani's visit to Shillong, the birthplace of my father.

It is a very informative article which makes Shillong sound beautiful and somewhere I am determined to visit, if the family can ever get itself organised and presuming I will be able to find the money from somewhere in the light of recent events i.e. my losing my job.

A distant dream
Bharati Motwani

Bharati Motwani visits Shillong where music is food for life, buildings reflect the city’s colonial past and warrior tribes still believe in animistic tradition.

Even if he didn’t know it, Bob Dylan had his 69th birthday party in Shillong this year. Long-haired, tattooed musicians played Dylan’s timeless anti-war anthem Blowing in the wind. Standing on a makeshift-stage, 60 year-old Lou Majaw, Shillong’s best loved-musician and Dylan addict said, “To Bob, wherever you are …”, before launching into Everybody must get stoned. Hundreds clapped, cheered and sang along, blocking traffic at a busy roundabout. And that is the spirit of Shillong. A town of pretty, sloe-eyed Khasi girls, pink-cheeked Anglo-Indians, and boys lounging rakishly at street corners, hair gelled, earlobes pierced — dressed to celebrate the evening, the weather, youth and life.

Local wares

Everywhere there is music — thumping out of restaurants and small jadoh stalls, wafting out of churches, reflected through posters for rock-concerts, musical talent hunts, through a retired tea-planter thrumming his old guitar in the backyard and a silver-haired old lady dreaming over the keys of a burnished Steinway. To slip under the skin of this entrancing town, take a ride to Burra Bazar on a local bus.

Squeeze yourself between many betel-stained, rotten-toothed grins; mind you don’t get your bottom pecked by angry, but still lecherous roosters trussed up in a basket; avoid making eye-contact with the severed head of a pig riding in the lap of a little boy. Though it’s only 9 am and a little early to start drinking, it’s okay to accept a swig of gin from the hip-flask so generously proffered by a smiling school teacher. She’s late for class and possibly tipsy, but hey, welcome to Shillong!

The travel brochure says Burra Bazar is a good place for tourists in search of local colour. Here, at a butcher’s section, huge beef carcasses hang from big meat-hooks, mounds of intestines, gizzards and entrails sit around slimily. And in the middle of each stall, framed by all the gore, there sits a pretty local lass, dressed to kill — high heels, bright lipstick, and scarlet nails. Indeed, the Khasis eat pretty much everything that moves, wriggles and slithers.

Another section of the market has tubs full of water-snakes, hornet larvae, maggots and beetles, all alive. A sweet, old lady gave me a recipe for oak-tree maggots sold at Rs 800 per kg, fresh and crawling. Just boil the critters for three minutes, sauté them lightly in butter, add a dash of salt and chilli and serve hot.

There are mounds of fresh kwai or betel nut that locals chew all the time. It warms you up in winter but will leave your ears burning and head spinning. There are baskets of reed, grass and beautifully crafted bows and arrows used by the locals at the Archery Stakes. The old tribal sport of archery has metamorphosed into a major gambling event, with daily stakes at Saw–Furlong and Polo Grounds. Archers from local clubs participate, while bookies scurry about placing bets that run into crores.

The British in India were always homesick for the rolling greens and shifting mists of Devon and the Cotswolds. Here, in Shillong, they rediscovered Scotland and promptly set up shop, making it the administrative headquarters of Assam in 1874. They built cathedrals, laid parks and created a township of winding lanes and mock-Tudor houses with gardens adrift in phlox, pansies and briar rose. Having done that, they laid themselves to eternal rest in shady graveyards.

For memories of the Raj, visit Ward Lake with its curving promenade and Lady Hydari Park with its pine groves (the native Pinus Khasiana that are the signature of these hills). Shillong’s beautiful 18-hole golf course is often compared to Gleneagle in Scotland, and is one of the oldest and most perfect natural golf courses in the world. A short drive away is Umiam Lake, a favourite haunt for Shillong’s high-spirited youngsters.

The tribes of Meghalaya — the Garos, Khasis and Jaintias — are matrilineal. Women wield considerable authority, but Khasi men are fiercely territorial about their women. All three tribes are essentially animistic despite having adopted Christian and Hindu practices. All over the Khasi hills are Stonehenge-like obelisks called mawbynnas, that mark the burials of ancient warriors. At Smit village, at the edge of town, we visit a liquor till, where we quaff a tumbler or two of the staple Khasi tipple — kakyat, a kind of rice beer.

Driving out of Shillong into the countryside, you begin to really breathe in the essence of Meghalaya — home of the storm clouds. The rolling fog is thick with legend, for the locals believe that all things have an indwelling spirit — every waterfall is a sorrowing maiden, every green hill is a brave warrior, every rock-formation the accoutrements of a giant.

Of waterfalls and caves

Just short of Cherrapunjee is Krem Mawsmai, a cave passage into the maw of the hill. The surreal shapes created by thousands of years of calcite sedimentation are believed to be the “marrowless bones of a giant”. Krem Mawsmai is located in the middle of a silent, sacred grove, so thick that light does not penetrate to the ground. Here, one must tread softly so as not to offend the trees. Not a branch must be broken, not a flower violated. The passage at Mawsmai once led all the way to Bangladesh, but the tunnel collapsed during the earthquake of 1894. It is believed that a local king once hid his entire army inside Krem Mawsmai during a battle with the British.

At Cherrapunjee, now unseated by Mawsynram as the wettest place on earth, are the milky Mawsmai Falls, hurtling down a cliff-face. Laitkynsew in Cherrapunjee is a sight straight out of an Enid Blyton story. It has a bridge made out of the secondary roots of a tree, an absolute marvel of bio-engineering and tribal wisdom.

The roots are stretched and planted on the opposite bank. It takes about 30 years for the bridge to gain the requisite strength, growing and regenerating. There are several such living root bridges in the area and they are unique to Meghalaya. Some are over 200 years old and have outlasted conventional bridges.

All of the area is dotted with caves, waterfalls and strange rock formations. Everything is impossibly green, moist and alive. The spirits of the forests have whispered their enchantments into your ears, and your life in the city feels dreamlike. “Why go back?” they whisper.

Election promises for Assam tea workers

It seems I am very unaware of current affairs in India, which was not the case when I was studying for my MA. I am resolved, now I have more time on my hands to be better informed.

Elections are due later this year, and the BJP have made an election pledge to increase the daily pay of workers in Assam to 100 Rs. Despite the fact that Assam produces the most tea in India, the area remains underdeveloped and more investment is needed. The party is making this pledge because to woo the votes of those living and working on the tea gardens.

Read the full story in The Times of India.

Article about the affect of climate change on Assam tea

A worrying article from the Guardian in 2010, describing the affects of global warming on the taste of Assam tea. To think that the taste of Jutlibari tea could change .......

Climate change leaves Assam tea growers in hot water

Rising temperatures reducing yields and altering distinctive flavour of India's most popular drink

Climate change is affecting the cultivation of Assam tea, with rising temperatures reducing yields and altering the distinctive flavour of India's most popular drink, researchers say.

High hills and abundant rainfall make the north-eastern state of Assam an ideal place to grow tea, with 850 gardens over 320,000 hectares (593,000 acres) producing the majority of the country's harvest. But in the last 60 years, rainfall has fallen by more than a fifth and minimum temperature has risen by a degree to 19.5C.

"This is clearly climate change, and it is bound to have major impact on the tea industry," said Debakanta Handique, a climate scientist in Assam.

The Tea Board of India said it had recorded a steady decline in tea production in recent years. In 2007, Assam produced 512,000 tonnes of tea. By 2008 this had declined to 487,000 tonnes, with estimated production in 2009 down again to 445,000. A further decrease is expected this year.

Mridul Hazarika, director of Tocklai Tea Research, the oldest tea research station in the world, said rainfall and minimum temperature were two of the most important factors affecting both quality and quantity of harvests.

"The decline has been taking place although there has been an increase in the area of tea cultivation as new gardens have come up, and many gardens have added new areas for tea plantation. This is an indication of the seriousness of the threat," said Hazarika. Efficient rainwater harvesting and new breeds of tea plants were needed to reverse the trend.

"Changes have already been observed in the flavour, but it is not possible to blame only climate change for this," he said. "Other factors like the fertilisers used and cultivation methods might also be partly responsible."

The changing taste of Assam tea is a serious concern for growers. Sudipta Nayan Goswami, an Assam-based planter, said subtle changes had already been observed: "The flavour has changed from what it was before. The creamy and strong flavour is no more."

"There is a huge demand for Assam tea abroad, and this is due to its strong, bright flavour. The changes will sharply hamper the demand for this variety of tea abroad."

History of Assam Tea

While there are fewer stories about the Jutlibari Tea Estate to be found on the Internet at present, I would like to take the opportunity of including more general information about the Assam region.

I do not propose to rehash the history, but do check out the Wikipedia entry on Assam Tea. I use Wikipedia all the time to look things up, so while entries are created by individuals I usually find the information reliable.

Census data from Voice of Bharat

Check out this page for census data for Bijulibari and Jutlibari villages on the tea estates.

My family also had links to Bijulibari
http://www.voiceofbharat.org/dibrugarh/view_results.asp?NAME=&sorttype=ASC&NAV=10&sortid=

Lots of useful information about Dibrugarh generally can be accessed from the homepage http://www.voiceofbharat.org/

Check out this great tea blog: AmazonV tea taste tracking

With apologies to Nicole Schwartz, with whom I exchanged comments at finding a photo of a jutlibari tin on her blog and asking if I could create a link. Nicole really takes her love of tea seriously and has comprehensively tasted and catalogued a wide variety of teas.

A great resource for the tea lover!

http://amazonv.blogspot.com/

Aerial Map showing Jutlibari from Wikimapia

http://wikimapia.org/#lat=27.4055282&lon=95.3823781&z=17&l=0&m=b&search=jutlibari%20TE

Army Donates Weaving Centre at Jutlibari 2008

Just found this article reported in the Hindustan Times, originally in the Assam Tribune, located on High Beam's Web site 2008

DOOMDOOMA, May 14 -- The wife of Brigadier Binoy Poonnen, Commander, 181 Mountain Brigade, inaugurated a cooperative weaving centre at Jutlibari village here recently.

The centre was donated by 6 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles under their Op Sadvabhana project. It is expected that the women of this backward village dominated by Moran community will be benefited from this centre.

Brigadier Poonnen also gave out certificates along with tool kits to successful graduates of an electrician course which had been run here to provide self-employment opportunities to 40 young educated unemployed youths of this …

Killings spark tension in tea belt - Hundreds from tea tribe lay siege to village in Doomdooma

Article from 09 June 2009
The Telegraph in Kolkata



Dibrugarh, June 8: Tension gripped the tea belt of Doomdooma in Upper Assam’s Tinsukia district following the murder of two persons belong to the tea community late last night.

Police said Maghen Moran, a resident of Jutlibari village, murdered two of his neighbours Nareswar Murah and Sarban Tanti and critically injured another, Monoj Murah, after a quarrel broke out between them last night.

Monoj, who was stabbed with a sharp weapon, is battling for his life at the Assam Medical College and Hospital.

As news of the killing spread, hundreds of people from the tea community from neighbouring tea gardens like Daisajan, Doimukhia and Rupai descended on the Moran-dominated village early this morning and laid a siege. Some of them were armed with traditional bows and arrows.

Fearing retaliation, most Moran tribals fled the village to safer locations.

Jutlibari, which has a mixed population of Morans, Ahoms and former tea garden labourers, is about 20km from Doomdooma police station and is surrounded by several tea gardens.

Tinsukia deputy commissioner K.K. Dwivedi and superintendent of police Diganta Bora rushed to the spot this morning and were camping there with a huge contingent of security forces to prevent any outbreak of ethnic violence.

Bora said over telephone the situation was very tense but under control.

“We have deployed additional forces in the vulnerable area and more forces are being called in. We cannot allow this small incident to spill over into anything major,” he added.

Rupesh Gowala, the secretary of the Doomdooma branch of the Asom Chah Mazdoor Sangha, said, “We have appealed for calm but the agitated people are in no mood to listen. They are also not paying any attention to requests from the administration.”

The people demanded arrest and exemplary punishment to the culprit within 12 hours, a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the victims, their proper rehabilitation, medical care for the injured and a written assurance from the administration that such incident will not take place in the future.

A delegation of the Moran Students Union, which tried to enter the conflict zone to take stock of the situation, was sent back by the administration to ensure that the situation remains under control.

“We appeal to all sections of society to maintain peace. We assure that the guilty will definitely be punished,” an official from the Tinsukia district administration said.

Bora said a massive manhunt had been launched to nab the culprit and he would be arrested soon.

“Search teams have been sent in various directions to track the culprit. Law will take its own course. Hence people should not try to take the law into their own hand. We will not be a mute spectator if anybody tries to take the law in his hand,” he added.

The protesters lifted the siege this evening.

The tea is poured

A pale orange colour when poured. Forgot the most important pic of us tasting tea, but it was great. Not as strong as we had thought, and obviously we drank it without milk. Mixing it with anything else would truly be a waste of this champagne of teas.

Thinking of the prices that it goes for, and the size of the packet (from a relative in Paris, who knows someone who works in the tea shop), this must be an expensive packet of tea and we are very lucky to have been sent one.

We believe that the other meaning of FTGFOP is true.

Far Too Good For Ordinary People!