ABSTRACT
In 1823, C.A. Bruce, a British military official discovered ‘tea’ as a drink used by the Shingpho tribe of upper Assam, which was to become a vast colonial economic venture. A plan for the tea plant cultivation was mooted in early 1834 with an experimental plantation in Lakhimpur district in 1835. The groundwork for the tea industry of Assam was laid right through from 1834 to 1850. During the post-independence period, the governance system of the Indian states has changed rapidly. The government’s attitude towards the working class became more favourable, and during this period, a few laws were passed by the parliament of India, including the Factories Act 1948, and the Minimum Wages Act 1948, and the Employees’ State Insurance Act 1948, all of which had a positive impact on the tea garden labourers. Child labour in the tea industry is allegedly used in carrying out the plucking, weeding, hoeing, and nursery work.
