Utsarita Alo by Samaresh Majumdar [Hardcover]

Etoya, Dukhon, Mangra, Budhni, and Sukhi are indigenous people living in a rough village in Chotanagpur. This village has no water or rivers, and the rain is scarce. The soil is also not very fertile. Etoya and her people live in extreme hardship and dire poverty. One summer, the local moneylender Lalmohan Teli showed them a dream of a golden land where water and food were abundant. The kind-hearted English king wanted to take them there.

Hoping for a better life, the villagers agreed to go. But in reality, the young men and women, along with their children, were packed into wagons and sent to the tea gardens of the Dooars to work as coolies. There, Budhni and the others were converted to Christianity and became servants of Jesus. Gaobudur's wife, Sukhi, was renamed Susan and became the mistress of planter Heg Sahib. Dukhon and others led a slave-like life facing tigers, snakes, and whips. There were diseases and death at every step, yet amidst all this, they dreamt of survival.

Sukhi died while giving birth to an illegitimate child. Who was the father of this white child? The priest of the tea garden church discovered the human soul of Jesus in this fatherless child. But what about the lives of the other tea laborers? Did their lives come to a standstill? What kind of lives did they find in the veins of the tea leaves?

This poignant novel, "Utsarito Alo," vividly portrays the struggles and life stories of tea laborers, shedding light on their journey and resilience.

The narrative beautifully captures their hopes and despair, making it an impactful read.