From Tamil Nadu to Badulla: A Century in the Tea Estates of Sri Lanka

Featured image by Amalini de Sayrah

AMALINI DE SAYRAH on 08/11/2017

Editor’s Note: August 2017 marks 150 years of tea production in Sri Lanka. To mark this anniversary, there have been several celebratory activities and events planned throughout the year, including a Global Tea Party, International Tea Convention and a charity auction. While there has been much reported in the media around these events, there has been little mention of the tea plantation workers without whose contribution the industry would not exist. With this in mind, Groundviews, Maatram and Vikalpa will be creating a series of features aimed at raising awareness around the hardships faced by workers and their families.

The Spring Valley region of Badulla, nestled at the foothills of the Namunukula range, is one of the coldest areas of the Uva province. The tea factory of the same name has long since been abandoned but the estate that surrounds it is home to many.

At 104 years old, Muththu Theyvaney’s story chronicles the journey she made from India to Sri Lanka, and the way the industry has shifted over the past century.

View the full story, compiled on Adobe Spark, here or below.