Tea Plantation Workers of Assam and the Indian National Movement, 1921-1947

Book excerpt: Tea Plantation Workers of Assam and the Indian National Movement, 1921-1947 studies the various phases of workers' politics in the tea plantations of Assam and deliberates upon the role of nationalist leaders in moulding the fate of these workers. The struggles of the tea plantation workers were a manifestation of the strength of their protests against the varied forms of exploitations of the tea planters. Their struggle occurred at the time of the formation of the indigenous bourgeoisie and continued despite the nationalist leadership not providing sufficient support to them. There remained a deep incongruity between the interests of the workers and the interests of the nationalist leadership which largely determined the fate of the material conditions of the labourers in deeper aspects.