 Second edition (1984) | |
| Author | Dr. Paul Harris Daniel |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Higginbotham's |
| Publication place | India |
Red Tea is an Englishhistorical novel written by Paul Harris Daniel. It was published inMadras byHigginbotham's in 1969.[1][2] It is based on the experiences of tea plantation workers in theMadras Presidency during theBritish Raj.[3]
Daniel was born on May 22, 1910.Daniel was a medical doctor and had worked in a series ofAssamese tea plantations in South India as chief medical officer from 1941 to 1965. He also acted as aunion organiser. During that time, he had interviewed workers, obtaining signed statements, developing material from which he used to write the novel. Though a work of fiction detailing the lives of Karuppan and Valli,Red Tea was written with an "explicit documentary purpose". It details how the Madras Planters Act of 1903 led to the poor conditions of plantation workers. Debt bondage of the workers, their poor working conditions, their inability to escape their life are all captured in the novel.[4][5]
It was translated intoTamil asEriyum Panikaadu by Ira. Murugavel.[6]The name of the translator has been rendered as Era, Ira, or Ra.[clarification needed]
The 2013 Tamil filmParadesi was adapted from the novel.[7]
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