By C. M. Paul
DARJEELING, March 28, 2026: In the villages of Margaret’s Hope Tea Estate, elders whisper a refrain that has become common: “There are no young people in the village.” At funerals, festivals and community works, the absence of youth is stark. Meanwhile, across the Darjeeling hills, women — who make up nearly 60 percent of the tea workforce — continue to bear the brunt of low wages, invisible labor and limited rights.
Margaret’s Hope Tea Estate, nestled in the Kurseong subdivision, is one of the region’s most storied gardens. Spread across 1,450 acres at elevations between 3,120 and 6,000 feet, it began commercial production in 1864 under the name Bara Ringtong. Renamed after Margaret, daughter of manager J. G. D. Cruickshank, who fell in love with its landscape but tragically died before she could return, the estate is now owned by the Goodricke Group. Famous for its delicate teas, it faces a stark social reality: its workforce has shrunk to less than half of the earlier 945 laborers, with most remaining workers above 45 years of age.
These twin realities of migration and marginalization were highlighted at the International Tea Conference hosted by Salesian College Autonomous Sonada, March 27–28. Faculty members Rohini Subba and Sumit Lepcha presented research showing how tea estates are losing their younger generation to migration, while women workers remain trapped in cycles of exploitation despite being the backbone of the industry.
Youth migration: Push and pull
Subba’s case study of Margaret’s Hope revealed that “young men and women flock to different parts of India in search of jobs. Meagre wages, lack of opportunities, and economic necessities push them away from the gardens.”
She traced the roots of this aversion back to the 1955 labor movement at Margaret’s Hope, when workers first challenged exploitative conditions. “Parents invested in education so their children would not inherit the same fate,” she said. “The job of a tea garden coolie is seen as degraded and harsh. Today’s youth aspire to alternative futures, even if migration only brings subsistence-level incomes in hotels or schools in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.”
The impact, she warned, is profound: “With youth gone, the voice of the labor community weakens. Machines replace human labor, but social life suffers. During calamities or community works, there is a dearth of young strength.” Already, pruning and plucking machines have been introduced at Margaret’s Hope, slightly increasing production but eroding the traditional workforce.
Women workers: Backbone yet marginalized
Lepcha’s paper focused on women workers, who form the backbone of Darjeeling’s tea industry. “They pluck, sort, and sustain the gardens, yet their labor remains undervalued,” she said. “Skill is gendered — when men do a task, it is seen as skilled; when women do it, it is seen as basic.”
She noted that women earn about ₹200 a day after deductions, among the lowest industrial wages in the country. “Despite provisions under the Plantation Labour Act, housing, healthcare, and childcare remain inadequate. Maternity protection is poor, and women often face wage cuts during pregnancy,” Lepcha added.
Union leadership, she pointed out, is male-dominated. “Women participate in strikes and demonstrations, but their voices are rarely heard in decision-making. Their role is mechanical rather than creative.”
Yet, Lepcha also highlighted their resilience. “Women find joy in shared meals, harvest traditions, and community support. These small acts of defiance preserve identity and strength. Empowerment must go beyond self-help groups — it requires education, employment, and recognition of women’s agency.”
Human stories of change
Both presenters underscored the human dimension. Subba described families who educated children to escape the “degraded” coolie identity, only to see them migrate into equally precarious jobs elsewhere. “Economically, migration has not uplifted them much,” she observed. “Most youths work in hotels or teaching jobs for meagre pay. They face the same financial distress, coupled with the challenges of living in unknown places.”
Lepcha cited the story of Lassi Tamang, who broke barriers as the first woman factory manager at Jungpana Tea Estate in 2017. “Her rise shows what educated women can achieve when given opportunity,” he said. “She represents a new wave of educated managers in the region, breaking gender stereotypes in a traditionally male-dominated industry.”
Call for reform
The conclusions were clear: better wages, investment in tea gardens, and recognition of women’s rights are essential to stem migration and empower workers. “If conditions improve, youths may return,” Subba argued. “Without reform, the gardens will lose both their workforce and their soul.”
Lepcha added: “Women’s agency is not just about survival. It is about dignity, recognition, and participation. The tea industry must reckon with its colonial legacies and gendered inequalities if it is to sustain itself.”
Both scholars stressed that the crisis is structural. The tea industry, despite global demand and high prices, suffers from underinvestment, ageing bushes and outdated machinery. “Meagre wages and poor conditions cripple the gardens,” Subba concluded. “With proper investment and fair wages, the problem of migration would be mitigated, and the industry would bloom again.”
Custodians of change
By bringing these issues to the International Tea Conference, Salesian College reaffirmed its role as custodian of regional heritage and catalyst for social change. Established in 1938 in Gorabari village near Sonada, the college has long engaged with tea garden communities through outreach programs. Hosting the conference marked a milestone in its mission to blend academic inquiry with grassroots realities.
As Darjeeling tea continues to enchant the world, the voices of its workers — young and old, men and women — demand to be heard. Their stories remind us that behind every cup lies resilience, struggle and the hope for reform.