An Uncanny Rebel: Lament Of The Tea Garden Worker Poem by Jorebungley Darjeeling

The poem is dedicated to the tea garden workers of Darjeeling hill region. Tea connoisseur across the world agree that Darjeeling is to Tea as Champagne is to wine - the best. However, unlike the Champagne produces, in Darjeeling the Tea garden owners are rich MNCs while the workers are bonded labourers who are only paid INR 95/day (US$ 1.8 per day) . The labourers do not own the right to land and the tea garden owners can ask any labourer to leave the garden despite having worked there for generations if the worker demands higher pay or better working conditions. In addition, Darjeeling Tea industry is the most feudalistic industry in the world which requires the tea garden labourers to send one person from each family to work in the tea gardens generation after generation if they want to continue living in the land their family might have worked with their sweat and blood for generations... But a rebel is born! ! and he vows to rewrite the destiny his forefather have had to live and was imposed on him.