When Tea Garden Closes: Gendered Coping Strategies in the Tea Gardens of Dooars, India

The tea industry, like many other industries in West Bengal, has been known for the frequent closure of tea gardens in recent times. Its traditional, labour-intensive nature requires a continuous supply of capital, whereas the share of profit is not proportionate to the high cost. Hence, syphoning off crores of rupees, becoming a defaulter and suddenly abandoning the garden, leaving the workers in a flutter, have now become common scenarios. Investing the same money in other businesses that may yield large profits in a short time is what small companies often do. However, the alternative ways for the workers to sustain a living, the vulnerability, the mobility and their limits amongst the workers through the gender lens are the key points of discussion in this article. Descriptive statistics and qualitative statistical techniques, along with in-depth interviews, have been used for the study. The alternative job option for male workers is more open, while most of the women are restricted to the periphery of the tea gardens as pluckers.