50. The Face of Doyang

Hello to all the lovely people at CFC/FOM. Last week I told you all about the ladies who wrote the first Indian Chai Stories. Today, I’d like to introduce another dear friend, a gentleman whose contribution to Indian Chai Stories goes beyond the written word: Alan Lane. Alan keeps a large number of people all over the world connected with their roots in India. Here is the first story Alan wrote for our readers. 

This is a sample that will make you chuckle:

“At that time…we used to go out in the evening, after ‘kamjari’(work) for a trip around the garden looking for jungle-moorgis or Kalij pheasants to shoot for the ‘pot’. Doyang was a rather ‘jungli’ garden at the time….Because of the ‘war’ the Assam Tribune newspaper had headlined that Pakistan had dropped by parachute ‘gorillas’ (instead of guerrillas) and so we would also keep a look out for the hairy beasts. Mr Gohain’s 12 bore shotgun would not have been much use against them I am afraid!” 

Life in the tea gardens was fun, but you learned to live with creatures who were more threatening than any gorilla could possibly be! Read the story to find out about them.

Cheers to the spirit – and the spirited people – of Indian tea!

I’ll be back with another story for all of you next Friday. Yeh vaada raha.