Nepalese Tea Worker Of The Himalayas (1971)

[music] >> With the taking of this fresh water for washing before an offering of morning prayers Kishor starts his day. This is the story of 15-year-old Kishor >> [music] >> and the family of Dorji Lama who is a tea worker in the Himalayas of India. >> [music] >> On this tea garden Kishor's father, Dorji, is a watchman. [music] So, he leaves at dawn to inspect the estate. His parents were poor farmers from neighboring Nepal who came to this estate looking for a better way of life when Dorji was only 1 year old. He has since lived and worked all his life on this tea garden. He started as a laborer earning the equivalent of $6 a month. Now, he earns $21 a month. Over the years, his way of life has improved which he attributes to the estate his trade union and to his God but also to his own hard work. After Kishor's prayers, he recites his lessons. His ambition is to become an engineer. His younger brother, Arun and his older sister, Karun attend a nearby primary school run by the estate. Kishor goes to a junior high school over 3 miles away. >> [music] >> He walks to school with his friends since there is no bus service in these rugged mountains. It is a climb of over 1,000 ft. Walking is a way of life in these mountains. As they [music] go, they talk about their favorite sport soccer and their school lessons. They know how essential education is to them. It is their only way to successfully get away from the tea garden or at least to get a technical and better paying job on the estate. >> [music] [music] >> The high school is 2 miles beyond Kishor's [music] school. Some students spend up to 6 hours a day walking to and from their school. >> [music] >> Kishor is third in his class of 48. It is his teacher's opinion that he could be first which would surely qualify him for a scholarship from the tea board of India. Not long after dawn Kishor's mother, Busor his aunt, Kamala and his grandmother go to work in the tea garden where only the tender leaves and bud of the tea bushes are picked. Tea bushes were first planted in these hills 120 years ago and on this estate over 80 years ago. The finest tea in the world is grown here. At 63 years Granny is strong and stubborn and enjoys the strenuous life. It keeps her fit and healthy. Working on these steep hills is also dangerous as landslides are frequent. The women work 25 days a month and earn an equivalent of about $10. By picking an excess weight of leaves, they earn a bonus offered by the estate to increase production. Living in the mountains is costly. Heavy clothing and shoes are necessary and their diet requires meat. A man's shoes cost about $7. A wristwatch, $20. And a small transistor radio, $65. Despite the high cost of things Granny generously shares her earnings with Kishor so he can buy lunch at school. >> [music] [music] >> When the baskets [music] are filled, the women return to the factory. The leaves are weighed and taken for processing. In addition to his regular duties as a watchman Dorji constructs buildings for the estate. The estate manager knows that Dorji is a good carpenter hard working and reliable. The other men enjoy working for him because he is easy going. This extra work adds about $10 a month to Dorji's income. The factory furnaces produce the hot air necessary to dry the tea leaves. Great care is taken in processing the tea leaves. Each step is a delicate operation. Drying the leaves rolling them to bring out the juices that give tea its flavor and the roasting and sorting of the tea. Tea tasting is the final important step. If all the previous steps were properly done the tea will have a fragrance and the tea taster will know. This tea is the finest among the teas of these Himalayan slopes. While the women work in the garden, their infant children are cared for in the estate's nursery. >> [music] [music] >> When the day's work [music] ends in the garden, the women's chores at home begin. It is Busor's responsibility to prepare the family meals. She is boss in her kitchen although the other women help her. Even Granny, who is matriarch of the family. It takes several hours to prepare the evening meal. >> [music] >> First, the rice. Then vegetables from their garden. Kishor has duties, too. He washes his own clothes a sign of growing up and eventual independence from his parents a stage every Nepalese boy passes through in reaching the responsibilities of adulthood. One of his duties is to cut grass for the family cow. Arun is responsible for feeding the chickens. The cow and chickens are among the family's few possessions so they are well cared for. When his chores are completed, Kishore plays soccer. He is a good athlete, an aggressive one like his younger brother Arun. Dorji also likes the game and volunteers as referee. He shows no preference to his sons who play on opposite sides. Both play hard. >> [music] [music] >> Dorji and his family are Buddhist and Dorji is a llama or priest. Within the llama sect, Dorji is a teacher. He must teach one of his sons the Buddhist scriptures and ceremonies which are in the Tibetan language. Since he wants Kishore to concentrate solely on becoming an engineer, he has selected Arun, his quick and bright second son to carry on the llama's duties. Once a year, a special puja or ceremony called tika is performed in the home. Cotton wicks are required for the many lamps used in the ceremony. Tika is the offering of prayers for the family and homage to family authority. >> [music] [music] >> As the family elder, granny holds the family's authority. She rigidly follows tradition. In this religious family, each member has its duties and works hard at them. Dorji, Kishore, and granny want education for the children, especially Kishore. They will put all of the family's resources behind him and his ambition to be an engineer. In this way, Kishore will eventually leave the tea garden and go on to another way of life. >> [music] [music] [music]