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I remember... the basha bungalow of
Rungaghur Division wherein the
mosquitoes, like MIG squadrons, dived on
the 'apprentice' of 1974. Even the Second
World War veteran, my Burra Sahab, could
not swipe them despite having been in the
Gorkha regiment.
I remember... the somewhat tilted (owing
to the great earthquake of 1950) chota
chung bungalow at Seajuli. No record
players, as my residence tripped and swayed
to the beat of the Ruston Hornsby slow
speed engine which was just a handshake
away. The kindness extended by Mr and
Mrs Maini in welcoming a permanent
hand.
I remember... my Dufflaghur days with a
great deal of pride and deep affection for
the Late B. N. Baruah who, though fond of
me, never showed any mercy! Many years
later, post retirement, we met and he
informed me that I would be perhaps only
the second individual confirmed by him
during his professional tenure.
I remember... Itakhooli, where Vidya
joined me. The frosty welcome received
from Denny Pariat (aged three) who
thought her position had been usurped!
Factory duty hours were shortened by an
hour per kind courtesy Late W.P. Swer.
I remember... Bordubi, where many of us
perfected the art of 'duckworth lewis'. Late
Zufi sahab, with ‘shades’ in the early hours,
prompted many of us to immediately hit
the ground. The motherly nature of Lutfa
memsahab evened the balance, though.
I remember... the happiest time as a family
in Corramore under Mr K.K. Bhuyan and
the Late S.I. Pariat. Both gentlemen were
very understanding; however the job of an
Assistant was to ensure that the weekly pay,
TDO and rations arrived on time despite
the Ghagra river being in spate. On being
transferred, the staff and workers
accompanied my car on foot to Shantipur
with a local brass band in attendance!
I remember... Majulighur. A seven year
stint, the majority with Mr Ranjit Singh
whose meticulous and systematic
methodology drove even his wife up the
gum tree! A learning and satisfying
experience. Majulighur was the sole
recipient of Mr Mandhata Singh's
unchallenged ways of giving guatemala slips
in exchange for clonal plants! At the squash
court too Superintendent Majuli Tea Co.
rules were simple. For every point his
opponent won Mr Singh would allot two
to himself ! However the team thrived
under his spirited and innovative
leadership.
I remember... taking over Romai with a
great deal of sadness and under trying
circumstances. Much tension prevailed but
the Assistants, mainly SN, would enliven us
with his unconventional ways.
I remember... my stint at
Dehing which was inherently
blessed with the most efficient
and dedicated workforce ever
seen. Two young Assistants
drove me batty. One of them I
accompanied (at his insistence)
for a matrimonial alliance to
Duliajan; the gentleman took
me to the wrong house and
then, fortunately, corrected
himself ! The other, instead of
being on the tennis courts, was
carousing with his lady love!
The farewell here too was a
heartwarming one.
I remember...‘returning’ to Chuapara after
many decades. As a child, the Late F.H.
Stroud OBE, Visiting Agent - Dooars,
would take me cycling around the property.
A short and happy stint during which the
first polypack unit was established.
I remember... Nya Gogra for the immense
social service rendered by both the staff and
workers during the floods of 1998 in
the neighbouring ‘bastis’. Food grains,
medicines and clothes were ‘ferried’ across
to many in need of urgent assistance. The
estate was the first to donate handsomely to
the Prime Minister's Relief Fund during
the Kargil War.
We ensured that Mr & Mrs Saxena
witnessed the dawn of 2000 at East Boroi
Club, pre-retirement.
I remember... Bogapani, for its splendid tea
bearing areas, the impressive factory layout,
the avenue of Nahor trees, the majestic
chung bungalow and the workforce - truly
a special place.
And, lastly... Keyhung. A few highs, many
overseas visitors of different hues and views
too! The nail biting targets of ERP, ISO
2000 and Rainforest Alliance.
As we taxied off on 1 December 2013 from
the Dirial airstrip, a final 'eyes right ' to the
families of Tingri Circle and Baghjan who
had assembled for a last chin-wag.
Pavan Kaul, Ghanshyam Singh, Prabhakar Choudhury and
Ranvijai Singh all retired from the Company’s services in March
2014, each after a long and distinguished innings. While Pavan
and Ghanshyam reminisce, Rupa Saikia writes about Prabhakar’s
career and Ramanuj Dasgupta recounts his experiences while
sharing a bungalow with Ranvijai.
A Salute to the Not Too Distant Past... – Pavan Kaul
My Tenure in Tea
– Ghanshyam Singh
Joining ‘Tea’ was mere chance. While doing myB.Comfrom
St Xavier’s College, Kolkata, I had joined the Royal Calcutta Turf
Club as an Assistant Starter, having inherited a love for horses.
This job gave me an opportunity to meet Mr M.L. Rome very
often. One day Mr Rome asked me if I was happy continuing at
the Race Course or would I welcome a change. Presuming that
the proposal was for Calcutta office, I eagerly agreed and asked if
I could also continue at the Race Course on weekends. That did
not happen as there was no vacancy in Calcutta office. Mr Rome
very kindly offered me a job in the gardens instead. Having heard
of Tea life – sports and the outdoor life – I promptly accepted the
offer.Then and there I filled in the application
form, and needless to say, there was no
looking back.
I joined Keyhung T.E. on 10 April 1978
under Acting Manager, Late S.I. Pariat and
Supdt, Mr C.G. Allen. After a short stay at
Keyhung, I was transferred to Itakhooli
where I got my first pet – a Labrador pup.
That generation had its own modus operandi.
When I was going on my annual leave to get
married,Mr Allen was most concerned about
the pup being left in the bungalow by itself.
One day, in all seriousness, he told me I
should go and request Mrs Allen to get the
pup to their bungalow without her knowing
it was his idea. Such was the greatness.
At Itakhooli I worked under Mr W.P. Swer
and Mr R.N. Banerjee. I have been very
fortunate to have worked under stalwarts
who were tough task masters but with hearts of gold, and under
whom I learnt the finer points of tea making and Tea life – work
hard, play hard, drink harder! I learnt this here and this is what I
would tell the youngster to do.
It was in Itakhooli that Nidhi joined me after our wedding on
8 February 1980. She gladly enjoyed every bit of being a Tea lady.
Itakhooli was never short of activities – games followed by table
tennis, then wound up with a few drinks and food. The ‘gang’
comprised Dr R.Bhuyan, Purnima, Lizy, Jacob and us. Sundays
and club days were, of course, dedicated to Golf.
I moved to Baghjan T.E. in 1981 where we were blessed with our
elder daughter, Geetika. From Baghjan, I moved to Moran and
then on to Attareekhat, where we were blessed with our younger
daughter, Shivambika.
Our Attareekhat stay had it own charm – crossing the rivers on
elephant back transported us back to the 18th century! From
Attareekhat I went to Margherita and then, in 1993, I got my
billet at Pabhoi T.E. I can very proudly say that the garden
progressed well during my tenure. After four years, I moved to
Baghjan T.E. Going there as Manager was like coming home.
Visual encounters with leopards at least once a week during a walk
– it is a memory to cherish. From Baghjan, and a very short stint
at Tezpore & Gogra T.E., I moved to Dehing T.E. and then to
Pertabghur T.E. in 2004. This was a turning point for me. That
same year, Geetika got married. In the year 2009, I became
General Manager.
Nine years in Pertabghur were full of experiences like meeting
with VIPs, foreign company guests and buyers. It is always a
pleasure to hear Pertabghur being referred to as the ‘Role Model
Estate’ in the Group. Pertabghur continues its steady progress
and also boasts of having received the Performance Award twice.
Today, it stands as one of the highest yielding estates in the Group,
and to add a feather to its cap, it has the finest Young Tea in all
its glory!
Last, but definitely not the least, it gives me immense pleasure to
mention the unstinted support and guidance received from all the
Advisory Staff and Head Office executives throughout my career,
without which I would not have achieved what I have.
Tea is a way of life and especially when you are working for the
best company – McLeod Russel. Just live it, savour it and enjoy
it. Nidhi and I wish you all the very best. God bless the McLeod
Russel family.
Ghanshyam has been one of the finest and most avid golfers in the
Company, so it is hardly
surprising that he made a
‘hole in one’ at his ‘golfing
out’ at the Kaziranga
Golf Course. We wish
him many more happy
and fulfilling hours on
the greens. ~ Eds L - R: Mr Ghanshyam Singh, Mr W. P. Swer,
Mr R.N. Banerjee & Mr T.V. Jacob The Evergreen Sportsman