Tea Garden workers constitute alomst twenty percent of total population of Assam. Tea industry is labour-intensive industry. The displacement of tea workers during colonial period in India was a result of British East India Company's establishment of tea industry in Assam and other parts of the country. British brought in workers initially from other parts of India,but eventually relied heavily on labour from local communities. Workers,from marginalized communities were subjected to long hours of work,low wages and poor living conditions. Establishment and growth of tea industry led to displacement of local communities and acquisition of their lands. Many of these communities were forcibly removed from their homes without adequate compensation,leading to loss of livelihoods and cultural disruption. While tea industry brought economic growth and development to the region,it was built on exploitation of local workers and communities. Displacement of tea workers during colonial period has a lasting impact on socio-economic and cultural fabric of the region. The displacement of tea workers in Assam is mainly due to land acquisition and development projects that forced many people to leave their homes and move to other areas resulting in problems from loss of livelihood to reduced bargaining power and insecurity. This paper explores the continuing struggle and challenges these displaced women tea workers faces in present day Assam through narratives from women workers in three districts of Assam covering permanent and non permanent workers. Many of them continue to work in tea estates as daily wage laborers where they are subjected to poor living conditions,long working hours and low wages. They face issues related to landlessness,lack of access to education,health care and job opportunities. Gender-based discrimination in the tea industry compounds their challenges.
