Not taking into account Millionaires and such-like, who take ‘La Dolce Vita’ to a different level altogether, ‘Tea’ life, must surely, in this age of flats, hard-to-get servants, and all kinds of pollution, be one of the last bastions of gracious living. (With all due respect to those who prefer living in a city or town.)
When ‘the grass looks greener on the other side’, those of us in the tea estates of Assam, Dooars, Darjeeling and South India, need only look at our own lifestyle! Spacious bungalows, with airy verandahs to spend time in, looking out on to fresh, green lawns interspersed with shrubs, majestic trees, and, in winter, bed after bed of blooming flowers; the fruit trees planted by successive occupants; fresh vegetables grown organically in one’s own kitchen garden; milk straight from the cow (with a detour through the kitchen, of course!); peace and quiet, only disturbed by the call of birds, and, occasionally, the klaxon of the ‘bazaar’ bus; plenty of room for pets; and enough people to take care of the bungalow, compound and one’s own creature comforts. Compare this with life in a city or town, where the maid is as erratic as the electricity, the only bird-sounds one hears is the raucous cawing of crows, and one can grow old sitting in a car….if stuck in a traffic jam!!
Some of our interior roads upcountry may be ‘beaten(-up) tracks’, or even river beds, but, at least one can move at one’s own pace, (occasionally giving the right-of-way to a passing cow or goat!) In a city, the cacophony of hundreds of impatient horns, cannot be good for one’s aural health!
The children have plenty of space to run around in, and breathe in lungfuls of fresh air! Fed on home-grown fruit and vegetables, and un-diluted milk, they grow up in a healthy environment.
The ladies use their time in pursuing hobbies and in developing their talents. Many a beautiful tapestry or glass painting has been the result of time well spent. Some ladies are always learning new things, others study, some hone their culinary skills while a few take up jobs when the opportunity presents itself.(When one’s husband is posted somewhere near civilization!) Some are members of Ladies’ Clubs, and try to do their bit for the less fortunate around them. Some are involved with Mahila Samitis and Mothers’ Clubs for the welfare of women and children. Keeping oneself occupied is no problem nowadays. The TV helps us all to keep abreast of what’s going on around the world and the latest in entertainment and fashion. We have telephone, Inter-net and e-mail connections, which help us communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime!
We have clubs with golf courses that a golf fanatic would die for, tennis and squash courts, a billiard room, a well-stocked library, and some even have a swimming pool. We have to share the club facilities with only fifty or sixty people, not hundreds…and all for free! Apart from the regular events, like Club Meets, the sports tournaments and festival celebrations, we can hold any kind of ‘Evening’ we want. In fact, we don’t have to depend on outside sources for entertainment – we make our own! The hill stations of Tamil Nadu and Kerala are accessible to the South Indian plantations, those of North Bengal, and places of interest in Sikkim, Nepal and Bhutan are accessible from the Dooars and Darjeeling estates, different areas of unspoilt Arunachal adjoin the estates in Assam. The rivers are a Godsend to the anglers, and, apart from the wildlife one may occasionally come across on the estate itself, including different kinds of birds, there are all those Game Sanctuaries. Talk about wanting to ‘get away from it all’….. we are already there!
The planter’s hospitality is legendary, and comparable to any great hotel’s!
One’s husband is home for every meal, unlike in the cities and towns, where a wife waves goodbye to her husband every morning, perhaps on her way to work herself, and then sees him only late in the evening. On the estates, even when he’s at work, one knows he’s somewhere close by. How’s that for ‘togetherness’?! (Bachelor planters, show this to prospective brides!!)
Sarita Dasgupta.
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