"Coolie Poesis: Plantation Sounds and Labor Heritage on Sri Lanka’s Tea Estates" - Mythri Jegathesan

Speaker at the UC Davis Global Tea Initiative for Tea Culture and Science 2nd Annual Colloquium: “The Sensory Aspects of Tea” on January 19, 2017. This talk explores the relationship between tea plantation labor and production and coolie identity formation and heritage in Sri Lanka. Also how the human voice-through the poetry, and song written and performed by Tamil plantation residents-reinforce coolie narratives of labor, connectivity, and desires for social recognition in a multicultural, postwar Sri Lanka. This reinforcement creates a coolie poesis-an emergence of a complex labor heritage to be duly acknowledged in Sri Lanka’s colonial and postcolonial history and present.

[@RexJebamoney]

A very big thank to the Professor to bring the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils of Indian Origin in Sri Lanka to the international stage. The Government nationalized the tea estates in early 70’s and privatized in the 90’s is only error I heard. Both Indian and Sri Lankan Governments have forgotten about these people who chose stay in SL.

[@AjithKumar2004]

It's highly appreciated. Timely topic from a recognized source. They need a voice like this. The life standard of the labour community of Sri Lanka should be uplifted.