Tea Industry and Jhumoir Dance

Tea Industry and Jhumoir Dance

 Agricultural Resources, Cropping Patterns

For Prelims: Jhumoir dance, Tea, Geographical Indication, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana
For Mains: Tea Industry in India – Challenges and Opportunities, Sustainable Agriculture in India

Why in News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Jhumoir Binandini 2025 cultural event in Guwahati, Assam, celebrating 200 years of Assam’s tea industry and its Tea Tribe through the traditional Jhumoir dance.

What is Jhumoir Dance?

• About: Jhumur is a traditional folk dance performed by Assam’s Adivasi tea tribes, originating from the Chotanagpur region of Jharkhand. It belongs to the Sadan ethnolinguistic group and is performed during harvests, weddings, and gatherings.
• Performance and Style: The dance is performed by men and women in a circular formation, featuring rhythmic footwork and lively music with instruments like the Madal, Dhol, Taal, and Flute.
• Cultural Significance: Jhumur dance symbolizes unity, pride, and the struggles faced by Assam’s tea garden communities, with songs reflecting themes of migration, exploitation, and social challenges.

Assam’s Tea Tribe

Assam’s Tea Tribe, or Tea Garden Communities, refers to the multi-ethnic group of tea workers and their descendants.

• They migrated from Central India (Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal) in the 19th century to work in British tea plantations.
• Many were brought under exploitative conditions, facing harsh labor, low wages, and restricted mobility.
• The community represents 17% of Assam’s population and influences around 40 out of 126 Assembly seats. They remain a crucial part of Assam’s tea production and cultural heritage.

Key Facts About Tea

• Origin of Tea in India: Tea cultivation began in the early 19th century when the British discovered that the Singpo tribals of Assam consumed a drink from wild tea bushes. Recognizing its potential, they commercialized tea cultivation.
• Characteristics of Tea Plants: Tea belongs to the Camelliaceae family, with two main species: Camellia sinensis (short-leaved ‘China’ variety) and Camellia assamica (broad-leaved ‘Assam’ variety). Tea plants are evergreen shrubs that thrive in sub-tropical climates.
• Tea Varieties: India holds Geographical Indication (GI) tags for Darjeeling Tea, Assam Orthodox Tea, Nilgiri Orthodox Tea, and Kangra Tea. Darjeeling tea, known for its unique aroma, was India’s first GI-tagged product.
• India’s Tea Industry: India has 39,700 tea estates, employing over one million workers. It is the second-largest tea producer in the world and the largest producer of black tea. India exports tea to over 120 countries, with the top importers being Iraq, UAE, Russia, the US, UK, and Germany. The tea industry employs 1.16 million workers directly and supports an equal number indirectly.

Challenges in the Indian Tea Industry

• Declining Tea Production: India’s tea production fell by 66 million kg in Jan-Oct 2024, with further declines expected. Losses in the first and second flush crops are impacting revenue and pushing tea prices higher.
• Impact of Climate Change: Extreme temperature fluctuations, including heat waves, rainfall deficits, and excessive rainfall, are damaging tea bushes and reducing yield and quality.
• Pesticide Ban: The ban on certain pesticides has raised production costs, as growers seek alternatives. The increasing demand for pesticide-free tea in markets like Russia, Ukraine, and Central Asia poses a challenge for pest control.
• Wages of Tea Workers: Reports highlight inadequate wages and lapses in labor law enforcement for Assam’s tea workers. State-owned Tea Corporation workers often face delayed or irregular salary payments, and there is a lack of basic welfare measures such as housing and healthcare.
• Rising Costs and Market Pressures: Rising production costs and market competition from countries like Kenya, Sri Lanka, and China are making Indian tea exports less competitive.

Way Forward

• Climate Resilience Measures: Encourage the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices, including drought-resistant tea varieties and improved irrigation systems. Promote agroforestry to enhance soil health and mitigate climate impacts.
• Sustainable and Organic Tea Production: Expand organic tea farming and pesticide-free production under the Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY) to meet global demand.
• Labor Welfare Reforms: Ensure minimum wages, timely payments, and better access to basic welfare services such as housing, healthcare, and education for tea workers. Align these reforms with the Labour Code on Occupational Safety, Health, and Working Conditions (2020) and the Code on Social Security (2020).
• Market Diversification & Export Promotion: Increase India’s presence in new export markets like Africa and Latin America, and promote value-added tea products such as flavored and specialty teas.
• Support for Small Tea Growers (STGs): Improve access to low-interest credit and modern technology, and promote cooperative farming models to enhance collective bargaining power among growers.

Drishti Mains Question
Evaluate India’s position in the global tea market. What steps should be taken to increase its competitiveness in tea exports?

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Questions (PYQ)

Prelims
Q1. With reference to the "Tea Board" in India, consider the following statements: (2022)

1. The Tea Board is a statutory body.
2. It is a regulatory body attached to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
3. The Tea Board's Head Office is situated in Bengaluru.
4. The Board has overseas offices at Dubai and Moscow.
   Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 3
(b) 2 and 4
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1 and 4

Ans: (d)

Q2. Consider the following States: (2022)

• Andhra Pradesh
• Kerala
• Himachal Pradesh
• Tripura

How many of the above are generally known as tea-producing States?

(a) Only one State
(b) Only two States
(c) Only three States
(d) All four States

Ans: (c)

Mains
Q. Whereas the British planters had developed tea gardens all along the Shivaliks and Lesser Himalayas from Assam to Himachal Pradesh, in effect they did not succeed beyond the Darjeeling area. Explain. (2014)

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