Guwahati, Jan 9: The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) organised the maiden event to celebrate 200 years of Assam tea in the Upper Assam town of Jorhat on Saturday.
On the occasion, a book, “Two hundred years of Assam Tea 1823-2023 : The genesis and development of Indian Tea,” written by tea researcher and writer, Pradip Baruah, and published by NETA, was released by Prabhat Bezboruah.
The former Chairman of Tea Board and Tea Research Association (TRA) along with the chairman, vice chairman and several past chairmen of Assam Tea Planters’ Association (ATPA), Bharatiya Cha Parishad (BCP) and North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) were also present during the book release.
“This book is a comprehensive account of the tea industry of Assam and India for two hundred years since the discovery of tea growing wild in Assam, in 1823 by Robert Bruce with the help of Maniram Dutta Baruah. It also has the complete chronology of two hundred years of the tea industry from 1823 to 2023. The book also carries a message from chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma,” NETA adviser Bidyananda Barkakoty said in a statement issued on Monday.
Besides, a publication, “Genesis of Assam Tea Industry” written by Arup Kumar Dutta and published by NETA was also released by Swapna Sarmah and Bidyananda Barkakoty, both belonging to one of the oldest tea planters’ families of Assam.
The publication is virtually the genesis of the Indian tea industry since Assam is the birthplace of Indian tea.
A cake was also cut to commemorate 200 years of Assam Tea, by Nirmal Kr Sahewalla, eminent doctor and owner of the historical Jaipur Tea Estate (in Assam) accompanied by O.P. Gattani, author, philanthropist and owner of Bokakhat Tea Estate; and Ashish Shah of Amit Ashish Enterprises, which is one of the oldest tea buying firms registered at the Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC).
Coinciding with 200 years of Assam tea, NETA has also launched a “tea academy” with Manoj Jallan as its first director.
The tea academy will carry out long term and short term courses to create trained manpower for the tea industry.
Several tea planters had gathered in Jorhat to celebrate the first event of 200 years of Assam tea.