POPULATION

Entire population of indian origin upcountry tamil people is currently estimated as 1.5 millian. out of this .75 millian people live outside tea estates and elswhere in the country.only 50% of the people live and work at tea estates and this containes of 3800 families.in 1950 ,six decades ago 90% of above population lived and dependants of tea estates . because of lower wage and poor living conditions people are try to find works outside tea estats and distracted from tea industry.if this tendancy continues in for another five decades there going to be hardley any single workers family going to be left inside in a tea estate.

a tea estate with dwelings

a tea estate with dwelings

it is so cold

it is so cold
there is no way out

sun set pictures near galle

sun set pictures near galle




perspective

perspective
imbulpitiya tea estate near nawalapitiya from the distance

new developments

new developments
after 1972when the parliament passed land ceiling act the hill country border plantations were divided into small portions given to sinhala peasants colonnialising the plantation districts.

workers children.....it is difficult to smile

workers children.....it is difficult to smile

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Even nature was cruel to the coffee workers

If history is delayed justice, then verdicts of “guilty” have to be entered against most of the governors of Ceylon in the coffee period; the kanganis, and the planters. Even nature was cruel to the coffee workers. Death rode on the frail craft in which they faced the hazards of the “black water”. Death was only a step behind the workers on the weary 150-mile walk from the hot and arid plains of the north western province of Ceylon to the cold and wet hillsides of the coffee estates. Death struck in the shape of a slithering snake in the undergrowth, or though the claws and jaws of a man –eating leopard. The writings of William knighton, C.R.Rigg, William sabonadiere, P.D.Millie, John Capper, Edward Sullivan and others on the travails of the coffee workers make chilling reading today even after the passing of a century.
Whenever the awkward question of mortality surfaced, the planters blamed the government for not providing better communications and facilities for food, drink and shelter. The governor blamed the system of recruitment though kanganis. The kangani system certainly brought out the worst in human nature. The kanganis sent on recruiting missions to south India cynically engaged greater numbers than were required because they knew a percentage would perish on the way. And they spent the barest minimum to keep their human charges alive out of the advances the planters paid them as expenses. The kanganis fattened on the profits from their human cargo. The governors in Colombo knew of the inquiries of the kangani system but were unwilling or unable to change it. Sir Henry word, an able governor, said the kangani system was based on “fraud and peculation”, and tried to change it but failed. Sir William Gregory, another capable governor, said the planters would change the system if they could, but it was based on custom, “and anyone acquainted with east knows what a barrier that word is to innovation however palpably beneficial.” And so the system continued not only until the dying days of the coffee industry but also through the birth and growth of the tea industry.

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