The Tea-tribes are found mainly in the districts of Darrang, Sonitpur, Nagaon, Jorhat, Golaghat, Dibrugarh, Cachar, Hailakandi, Karimganj Tinsukia and almost all the districts of Assam in India. Santhali speakers are also found in parts of Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon districts. The population of Santhali speakers is about 135,900.
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The so-called Tea-tribes were brought in by the colonial planters (British) as indentured labourers from the Chhota Nagpur Plateau region.
General physical characteristics are: short, (around 4.5 to 5 ft), of dark complexion, sometimes curly hair, round features and wide nostrils, high cheek bones.
One of the backward and most exploited tribes in India, though newer generation are comparatively educated and we now have intellectuals and professionals in various fields. The Tea tribes, being basically labourers, live in villages, inside tea-estates (established by tea-planters. These estates are located in interior places and this contributes to the backwardness and exploitation of them by the tea-planters. The workers, in a way have to live with the basic facilities provided by the tea-planters. The tea-planters usually exploit the tea-tribes every possible way. Violence and agitation of labourers against the management is common, where the state machinery normally protects the tea-planters. Non-education, poverty, addiction of males to country-beer, poor standard of living and health facility are the problems in their life. There are instances when tea-planters do not even supply the life-saving drugs when workers are dying out of epidemics.
The 'welfare officer' appointed in every tea-estate due to compulsion from Government of India, are mostly show-pieces than of any good.