Organised to commemorate over two centuries of Assam’s tea industry, the grand spectacle also marks the beginning of the Advantage Assam 2.0 Summit. The event is expected to set a new record for the largest-ever Jhumur performance, bringing the rich legacy of Assam’s tea garden communities to a global stage.
#WATCH | Assam: Prime Minister Narendra Modi greets the crowd as he arrives on the stage at Sarusajai Stadium in Guwahati to attend the ‘Jhumoir Binandini’ event. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma is also here.
(Video: ANI/DD) pic.twitter.com/cK5yCq1i9M— ANI (@ANI) February 24, 2025
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has been overseeing preparations, said that 60 heads of mission and ambassadors from various nations would be in attendance, underlining the event’s cultural and diplomatic significance.
The tea garden community and its heritage
The performers at the event belong to Assam’s tea garden community, commonly referred to as the “tea tribe.” This diverse group comprises descendants of workers brought from Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, and West Bengal to Assam’s tea estates under British colonial rule in the 19th century.
Historical records indicate that their migration—whether forced or voluntary—was fraught with hardship. Labourers endured harsh working conditions, meagre wages, and strict movement restrictions. Many succumbed to disease en route, while others faced brutal punishments for attempting to escape the plantations.
Today, these communities are concentrated in tea-rich districts such as Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sivasagar, Charaideo, Golaghat, and Sonitpur in Upper Assam, along with Cachar and Karimganj in the Barak Valley. While they hold Other Backward Classes (OBC) status in Assam, groups like the Munda and Santhal are classified as Scheduled Tribes in their states of origin.
Despite forming a substantial portion of Assam’s population and playing a pivotal role in its tea industry, these communities continue to face economic marginalisation, according to the state’s Directorate of Tea Tribes and Adivasi Welfare.
The cultural significance of Jhumur
Jhumur, a traditional folk dance of the Sadan ethnolinguistic group, is central to the cultural identity of the tea garden community. Primarily performed during tea estate festivals like Tushu Puja and Karam Puja, the dance embodies a sense of collective resilience.
Women perform synchronised formations, while men accompany them with traditional instruments such as the madal, dhol, dhak (drums), cymbals, flutes, and shehnai. Red and white sarees are the standard attire, though styles vary across communities. The songs, often sung in Nagpuri, Khortha, and Kurmali, have gradually absorbed Assamese influences.
Despite its lively rhythm, Jhumur often conveys sombre themes, reflecting the struggles of the tea garden community. Beyond performance, it serves as a living connection to their past, preserving cultural heritage and fostering solidarity amid historical displacement.
