[Assam] THE HINDU : Tea: Legend, Life and Livelihood of India

[Barua25]

THE HINDU

Date:01/10/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/lr/2006/10/01/stories/2006100100030600.htm 

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Literary Review 

HISTORY 

Tea anytime 

RANJITA BISWAS 

      A coffee table book on the story of tea in India.  







 

Tea: Legend, Life and Livelihood of India; Gautam Prasad Baroowah; Red River Publications, Rs. 2,000 

INDIA and tea are so intertwined together that life without the brew is unimaginable, even taking into account coffee's popularity in the southern peninsula. 

And to think that tea entered our life only in the mid-19th century when the British colonists started plantations in Assam and Darjeeling! In the beginning though, Indians shunned the drink as they thought it was a poison that led to umpteen diseases. 

Ironically, tea colonised Britain whose afternoon tea ritual became a part of their social diary and also led to establishment of numerous teahouses in England and elsewhere. Some well-known hotels in London even launched tea dances; some of them have now revived the custom, which petered off during the war years. 

Today, scientific research across the world has attempted to establish the beneficial qualities of tea - a fact the Japanese and the Chinese knew anyway from ancient times, attributing to it numerous medicinal properties. 

Fascinating subject 


The history of tea in our country is fascinating and the tea industry's important role in the socio-economic life of the people is undeniable. A number of books on the subject have already made their presence felt. 

Gautam Prasad Baroowah's lavishly mounted coffee table (or is that `tea-table'?) book, Tea: Legend, Life and Livelihood of India, is the latest entrée to this club. What makes the book interesting and different is the adoption of a somewhat fictional style, weaving in a character into the narration to tell the story of tea in our country. 

The book mainly concentrates on the tea scene in Assam. It is divided into seven chapters starting with "Discovering Tea" to its evolution to "Flavour and Taste" and "A Health Drink" and the concluding "Chronology" tracing the brew from ancient China to today's tea auction centres and marketing in the country which should prove useful as reference. 

As one takes this long journey it is fascinating to discover how other facets of the life and culture of the Brahmaputra Valley have become interwoven with `garden-life' culture making tea something more than just a commodity for the people there. 

Dushyant Parashar's excellent photography brings out the beauty and essence of the land and tea garden life. Additionally, archival pictures and prints of gorgeous artifacts associated with the tea drinking ceremony enhance the book's appeal. 

However, it's not been all a win-win situation. The ups and downs the tea industry has been facing for a couple of years with competition from newer markets and fall in demand by some traditional markets abroad is too well-known. The Tea Board and industry captains have been trying to tackle these problems so that the country holds onto the premier position the country enjoyed for centuries. 

Hence the chapter "Tea-the Future" with some pragmatic observations from the author, himself long associated with the industry, is worth taking note of. The book is well researched and full of anecdotes and useful information. However, these sometimes overlap verging on repetition. Editing too needs a bit of more sprucing up. 









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