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Torsha river by ferry, carrying my lunch box on my bike,

as those days there was no bridge over this river. My

kamjari was to arrange the buyers and sell my product, so

I would carry potato samples and visit all the potato dealers

in Falakata and Cooch Behar. With great difficulty I

managed to sell the entire stock. A few kg of potatoes,

nicely packed in a carton, was also sent to HO, kind

courtesy Brindaban Division! This land project was later

christened Bridaban Division.

Once, during routine kamjari in Assam, I received a

message from Burra Sahab that a disabled child had been

taken captive behind the Burra Bungalow servant’s quarter.

It was similar to a hostage situation. The culprit was

carrying a machete. Cops were informed but as usual they

were not on time. Before I arrived at the site, the Senior

Assistant Manager along with ATPSF personnel had

surrounded the quarter. We started talking to the person

to release the child and asked him to come out of the

quarter, giving all kinds of assurances that he

would come to no harm.

After a long negotiation, when there was no response,

I decided to enter the quarter to rescue the child. At the back

of my mind I was prepared that he would attack me as soon

as I entered and I would have to act fast. And yes, this was

exactly what happened – he attacked me with the machete

and within a fraction of a second I ducked, grabbed him and

immediately the ATPSF personnel behind me overpowered

him. Finally, after more than an hour, the agonizing hostage

crisis ended in a dramatic climax.

This, for me is Tea – all shades of colour, where one has to

be prepared for any kind of eventuality and for which no

training or code of conduct is provided. It’s a management

skill which is imperative to a labour intensive industry

like ours.

rought up in the Defence atmosphere, I was made

to understand that there was no better profession

other than the Army. It was like you see the horses

which draw ‘tangas’ in Delhi. Blinds are fixed on the sides

of the horse’s eyes to prevent it from looking at the sides

and getting distracted. Finally at the time of taking up a

career, I cleared the CDSE (Combined Defence Service

Examination) and applied for Tea as well. Coincidentally,

I got joining letters from both on the same day and having

seen the other side, opted to join Tea. I have no regrets

today about making the right choice as I feel proud to be

a part of the world’s number one tea company.

Jainti was my first tea estate, where I had a very short

tenure.The training was very tough and those days there

was a saying that Dooars was the launching pad for

Assam. One evening my Burra Sahab landed up in my

bungalow, handed over my transfer orders and told me to

report to Mathura T.E. by the next morning. He briefed

me that it was a new acquisition and I might have to stay

in a tent as there were no bungalows. Mathura was a

totally different ball game altogether. Kamjari was 24x7.

Being a new property, we had this tremendous task of

bringing it up to our Company’s standards in all respects.

The entire team managed to stay in one bungalow for a

couple of months – Burra Sahab on the top floor, sharing

with an assistant and the rest of us in the dining hall with

partitions made from tea chests. As there were no closets

to keep our clothes in, I grabbed an old fridge lying in a

corner where I managed to keep them. The best thing I

cherish even today was the dinner we all used to have

together. Conversations during the meal provided

opportunities for us to bond, plan, connect and learn from

one another. For at least half an hour we would discuss

how our day had gone, talked about kamjari and made

future plans. This pleasant time seemed like a reward for

the day’s hard work, which I still miss today.

I presume I am the only planter in the entire tea industry

who was given the responsibility of harvesting and selling

potatoes in the ‘mundi’! The Company decided to have a

land project in Falakata, Dooars, as acquisitions of land

were made. Planting of tea commenced immediately after

land preparation in blocks. But as the planting was done

in phases, to guard our land against encroachment it was

decided to cultivate potatoes on some stretches. It so

happened that at the time of harvesting, the assistant in

charge had to go on annual leave and I was sent on

deputation. Every morning I would go

to the land project

crossing the

Pot-o-

Tea

~ Shashi Kant Subba

Tarajulie T.E.

“

Nothing is really work unless you

would rather be doing something else.

”

~ James Matthew Barrie

JANUARY 2015