The Tea-tribes are found mainly in the districts of Darrang, Sonitpur

Sonitpur

Sonitpur is an administrative district in the state of Assam in India. The district headquarters are located at Tezpur. As of 2011 it is the third most populous district of Assam , after Nagaon and Dhubri.-Etymology:...

, Nagaon

Nagaon

Nagaon , is a medium sized city and a municipal board in Nagaon district in the Indian state of Assam. It is situated east of Guwahati. An older spelling of the name is Nowgong.It is one of the fastest growing cities of the northeast.-History:...

, Jorhat

Jorhat

Jorhat is a city of Assam in India. Jorhat was established as a new capital in the closing years of the 18th century by the declining Tunkhungia Ahom Dynasty. Jorhat, as the name signifies, was just a couple of markets . Two parallel markets namely, Chowkihat and Macharhat, lay on the eastern...

, Golaghat

Golaghat

Golaghat , which was one of the largest subdivisions of Assam later, elevated to the position of a full-fledged district of Assam on 15 August 1987, is the headquarters of Golaghat district and is a sister town to Jorhat which is about 55 km away....

, Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh is the headquarters of Dibrugarh district, Assam, India, and is the second largest city in Assam after Guwahati. It is situated on the banks of the Brahmaputra River, about north-east of Guwahati. It is the gateway to the three tea-producing districts of Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Sibsagar...

, Cachar, Hailakandi

Hailakandi

Hailakandiis a town and a district in Hailakandi district in the Indian state of Assam.The Hailakandi district is one of the three districts of Southern Assam i.e. Barak Valley.-Geography:...

, Karimganj

Karimganj

Karimganj Town is a town in the Karimganj District of the Indian state of Assam. It is the administrative headquarter and main town of the district.-Geography:...

 Tinsukia

Tinsukia

Tinsukia is a city and a municipal board in Tinsukia district, Assam, India.Tinsukia is a business city in the Indian state of Assam. It is situated north east of Guwahati and kilometres away from the border with Arunachal Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of Tinsukia District of...

 and almost all the districts of Assam

Assam

Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...

 in India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

. Santhali speakers are also found in parts of Kokrajhar

Kokrajhar

Kokrajhar is a city in Bodoland Territorial Council, Assam, one of the North East States and territories of India.Kokrajhar city is located along the bank of Gourang River. The North East Indian Railways divides the city into two sides, north and the south...

 and Bongaigaon

Bongaigaon

Bongaigaon is the district headquarters of Bongaigaon District, Assam, India. The city is situated north west of Guwahati.It is a very developing City in Lower Assam. It has two parts - Old Bongaigaon and New Bongaigaon. Bongaigaon is predominantly inhabited by the Koch Rajbongshi Community which...

 districts. The population of Santhali speakers is about 135,900.

Origin

The so-called Tea-tribes were brought in by the colonial planters (British) as indentured labourers from the Chhota Nagpur Plateau region.

Physical characteristics

General physical characteristics are: short, (around 4.5 to 5 ft), of dark complexion, sometimes curly hair, round features and wide nostril

Nostril

A nostril is one of the two channels of the nose, from the point where they bifurcate to the external opening. In birds and mammals, they contain branched bones or cartilages called turbinates, whose function is to warm air on inhalation and remove moisture on exhalation...

s, high cheek bones.

Socio-economic conditions

One of the backward and most exploited tribes in India, though newer generation are comparatively educated and we now have intellectuals and professionals in various fields. The Tea tribes, being basically labourers, live in villages, inside tea-estates (established by tea-planters. These estates are located in interior places and this contributes to the backwardness and exploitation of them by the tea-planters. The workers, in a way have to live with the basic facilities provided by the tea-planters. The tea-planters usually exploit the tea-tribes every possible way. Violence and agitation of labourers against the management is common, where the state machinery normally protects the tea-planters. Non-education, poverty, addiction of males to country-beer, poor standard of living and health facility are the problems in their life. There are instances when tea-planters do not even supply the life-saving drugs when workers are dying out of epidemics.

The 'welfare officer' appointed in every tea-estate due to compulsion from Government of India

Government of India

The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...

, are mostly show-pieces than of any good.

External links

• Village Planning has lifesaving impact for the Tea Tribes in Assam
• Tribal Turmoil (Including a history of exploitation)