Gorkhaland revolution likely to affect Darjeeling’s tea industry

The political unrest prevailing in Darjeeling is likely to affect its tea industry adversely as it is preventing the workers from doing their job in the tea estates. The Darjeeling tea estates follow a short plucking cycle of ‘five to six’ days. In fact, this procedure makes this tea different from others and helps this tea to maintain the superior quality it possesses. Unfortunately, for the last twenty days, the plucking process has not been properly taking place in any of the tea estates in the region due to the political unrest existing in the valley. It is apparent that the lack of proper care and plucking is likely to affect the quality of the product adversely. ICRA, the Indian independent and professional investment information and credit rating agency, has said that the political unrest would affect the production and export of the Darjeeling tea, which has a huge demand in the International market, adversely. The agency has identified that the industry might suffer a huge loss of one hundred and fifty crore rupees due to the crisis. Observers claim that the authorities should initiate feasible measures to make sure the political unrest does not affect the agricultural, manufacturing, service sectors which provide a livelihood for the people who live in those regions where that pandemonium takes place. Notably, a large section of the lower class people living in the valley depends on the tea estate jobs for their livelihood. The disturbance in the sector can bring disaster in their life. Observers demand that those who create the crisis in the region for petty political gains should understand it.

Vignesh

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