Loading

Abandoned and widowed women of Jalpalguri’s Karala Valley tea estate The struggle of the estranged women in the valley, with some inspiring stories

The lush green Karala Valley tea estate in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal is an unforgettable feast for the eyes. However, human life here is not as simple and beautiful, as the tea garden which spreads far and wide across the Karala Valley.

Life is tough for the women, mainly the widows, working in the estate. Most of them, whose husbands have died or left them, have to work in the fields or depend on the government for rations for survival. These abandoned women either have to work as labourers in tea plantation or do work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNERGA) programme, or do some other odd jobs in the city to earn a living.

When COVID-19 hit the district and lockdown was declared, the situation got worse. All women working part-time under MGNERGA projects had to depend on the government handouts to run their families, since the projects were stopped without any notice at the end of March.

Promili Munda's daughter-in-law, Savitri Munda working in the tea fields.

They had no savings and even had to take their children out of school because they could not afford it anymore. Promili Munda, a widow, works under the MGNERGA project, and has to look after her family. Her son also left her a few years ago to marry another woman leaving behind his first wife and two kids. The wife works as a labourer in the tea industry. Both the women with their meagre income could not provide for the kids education anymore and removed them from school to save money.

The tea industry was shut down during the lockdown, and so was the local crèche. While the industry reopened in June, the childcare facility still remains closed. The young mothers with no in-laws or husbands to look after the children back home - earlier kept them in the village crèche, arranged by the landowner. With no other alternatives available, the women are forced to bring their children to their workplace.

An empty creche house

The women in the community now help each other to take care of their children. The elderly women take turns to look after the children. The young mothers sometimes pay them back by doing extra work in the fields.

Nevertheless, few women had also some inspiring stories to tell.

However, amidst the desolation, the community strives to overcome their hardships. Two local women Marlin Munda and Ruby Munda have set up a small shop in the village. Both abandoned by their spouses, they used to work as cooks in the town. After saving up some money, they decided to open a shop three years ago. All though the shop does not make much money, they are happy to stand on their own feet.

Pinki Munda, is a saleswoman in the village. She started her saree business after her husband, Haridas Munda passed away five years ago. Pinki got married to Haridas when she was only thirteen, and can't read or write. She was helped by an NGO with Rs 10,000 to start the business. In the beginning she had to walk around the village carrying heavy bags to sell the garments. Now, five years later, most of the customers come to her house to buy garments.

Despite the returning of normalcy after the lockdown, life is still an everyday struggle for the ill-fated women of Karala Valley tea estate.