Early Plantation Days in the Nilgiris

Hello again, dear readers! Birthday month at Indian Chai Stories (we turned three!!) and family time! That's right, 'family time'. Radha Madapa**, and later her mother-in-law Vina had written about their lives as cha memsaabs, and now a third member of the Madapa family, their 'Big Chief' writes a fascinating and engaging account of his early days in tea. Enjoy your read! -Gowri

by Codanda Tata Madappa

With my children Navina & Vinod, Lauriston Estate, 1965

I was born in my grandfather's house in a coffee estate in Kodagu(Coorg). As a senior student in 1942, I participated in the Quit India Movement in my hometown Madikeri - taking part in protests, shouting slogans, demanding that the British leave India. I was a school boy of around ten years, when Gandhiji visited Somwarpet (again in Kodagu), and I had the good fortune to not only be present but also to be in the front, and he gave me an orange! 

After my graduation in the early '50s when I got a job, as fate would have it, I had to report to a Britisher in the plantations. The company I joined was called Ouchterlony Valley Estates (1938) Limited, situated at the foothills of the Nilgiris. Goodness me, the environment and weather was akin to my home district of Kodagu. The Valley was known for eye catching water falls, birds and wildlife, scenic beauty, scope for fishing and duck shooting. It was exciting indeed to hear tigers roaring on the mountain ridges during the mating season. 

With the Minkleys, Kelly Estate,1955

The property of about 15 thousand acres was once owned by Colonel Ouchterlony. Subsequently it was inherited by Wobshire and family. Due to repeated losses through the years of war, the property had to be floated as a Limited Company. Peirce Leslie Limited cornered the major shares and thus took over the management and administration, with their Head Office at Calicut, Kerala. When I joined the company, they had 1500 acres of tea and 4500 acres of coffee with factories and pulpers. Later years cardamom and pepper too. One coffee pulper was inaugurated by Lord Lytton, the then Viceroy of India, on 17/9/1877. On elephant back he was treated to Shikaar. When I joined, there were seven British Managers and one Indian called Menon. John Hamilton Wilkes was the General Manager. I was posted at Glenvans Estate and shared the bungalow with a British Assistant Manager called John Macliment. 

A beautiful, good natured horse called Lancashire was kept at my disposal so I could execute my duties. Syce was a person called Kathamuthu who was a smart fellow. Rain, cold or sunshine, off to duty exactly at 7:30 a.m. Later years when they did away with horses I bought a secondhand 3.5 HP BSA motorbike for Rs.2,000. As time rolled on, the Plantation Labour Act came into force. Labour Unions were well organised and so also staff. Those days in order to have better control over labour force“Kangani System” was there. This gave labour supervisors absolute power over labour ,i.e, apart from wages the supervisors were earning commission per head. More labour, more commission. Thus more extraction of work and turnover. Soon the government banned this system.

As anticipated, the British planters started getting back one by one. Eventually labour unrest increased with the change of management style- Harthals and demanding more wages,etc. The first Indian General Manager was appointed who was one Mr P.K. Monnappa - ex I.G of Police (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka) on a three-year contract.

Around this time (1962), the newly formed Indian government stopped the “Managing Agency” system and so the Peirce Leslie Plantation sector was taken over by one Mr. Jhunjunwala who in turn sold the controlling shares to one Sri Bajoria of Kolkata. Subsequently the properties' control was bought over by M/s Manjushree Plantations Private Limited of Kolkata who still manage the erstwhile O'Valley Company.

Once a group of us with local guides trekked up to the Nilgiri Peak and had a picnic. On the way up we sighted ibex, Malabar squirrels and sambar. From the top of the peak we could see the Arabian Sea. During Pierce Leslie’s days we played a lot of sports. Our club in the Valley had a tennis court and billiards. My Manager Major Keith Vaughan Arbuckle insisted that we participate in UPASI sports (an annual event). He was one of the pioneer planters and a decent type. 

New Hope Estate, 1958

I being a shikaar enthusiast managed to bag leopard, bison, sambar, porcupine, etc. Besides, good fishing at Mukurthi Lake and duck-shooting at Begur. In my good old Ambassador car I would secure my small boat on top. Earlier days had a Ford Prefect (bought for Rs.5,600) that conveniently had a front visor (windshield) which I could open and prop my .22 gun and all I had to do was wait and watch. 

With my wife Vina ,Glenvans Tea Factory,1969

My wife disliked my “shikaar” sprees. Went on strike and turned vegetarian, which she still is! Once at night on our way back from the club there was a magnificent stag. I opened the cars visor and ever so quietly picked up my rifle which was always in the car. Stag was in my sights when my wife furiously pushed the barrel of my gun.

One Sunday, three of us, all bachelors decided we’d have an outing to Mysore (about 130 kilometres away), enjoy a good lunch and watch a movie. We travelled on our bikes. The route to Mysore is we first cross the Mudumalai Sanctuary (in Tamil Nadu) and then Bandipur Reserve(in Karnataka). Well, we had a good time in Mysore and left at around seven pm. Bandipur Sanctuary was smooth sailing. In Mudumalai my friend Madaiah who was ahead with poor headlights thought he saw a bullock-cart ahead, as he went on to overtake, to his dismay realised it was a wild tusker who turned around to attack! He abandoned his bike and ranfor his life. Ravindran who was next too had to get off his bike and flee. I being at the end of the line somehow managed to turn my bike around,and  they both jumped on my bike and we raced back quite a distance. We ended up spending the night at a temple - of course a restless night . Early next morning we headed back to find the motorbikes,one was damaged but luckily started .We raced back to The Valley to be on time for muster (morning roster call). News travelled fast and our Managing Agent (PL) sent us a telegram that read- “Congratulations on escaping from the jaws of death!”

All the factories, coffee pulper houses, bungalows staff quarters, labour lines had water supply by gravitation. Some areas of tea irrigation was also by gravitation only. Some pockets had Blake Hydram.Two of the Bungalows, Suffolk and Guynd had electricity by hydro-power only! Labour and staff worked well with me and I loved them for their loyalty. I admired the energy of the pluckers- mostly women folk moving up and down the hill.

I spent the best part of my life at the ‘O’Valley, no regrets! According to Law of Nature, what should happen will happen, and for everything there is a time to happen! While I was at Lauriston, I realised that my time was up. I returned home to tend to my property in Coorg.

I have since visited the O.V. many a time and still reminisce of the the glory days of my life in the plantations.

Meet the writer: 

Codanda Tata Madappa

Always enthusiastic and in good spirits, my father in law keeps us on our toes! A *nonagenarian who still drives to town to meet his friends or for a game of bridge. He’s always up to something- planting in his backyard or writing in his journal, planning his next outing or play acting. His sense of humour is legendary. He still hides behind a bush or around the corner to ambush his grandsons - who are mostly unfazed - but it gives me a near heart-attack!! An inspiration to us and to his grandchildren. We consider ourselves blessed to have him in our lives. - Radha Madapa 

*Radha tells me he will turn 97 soon, and this makes Mr Madapa our oldest contributor! - Gowri

**Radha wrote for Indian Chai Stories ( read her 'Darjeeling Days' here:  https://teastorytellers.blogspot.com/search/label/Radha%20Madapa and later, her mum-in-law Vina shared her delightful account of life in the O'Valley. You can read it here: https://teastorytellers.blogspot.com/search/label/Vina%20Madappa

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My name is Gowri Mohanakrishnan and I'm a tea planter's wife. I started this blog because one of the things that I wouldn't want us to lose in a fast changing world is the tea story - a story always told with great seriousness, no matter how funny - always true (always), maybe a tall tale, long, or short, impossible, scary, funny or exciting but never dull. 
Happy reading! Cheers to the spirit of Indian Tea!