Sustained malnourishment, which leaves these unemployed estate workers prone to weakness, depression and illness, is a not always recognisable ailment. Far more immediate and terrifying are the wild elephants, several herds of which live in the nearby forests in the Dhumchipara and Lankapara range and periodically wander into Ramjhora, trampling homes and killing and injuring people, especially after the tea plants have grown high enough to be mistaken for trees.
It makes for a grim scenario -- with money at a premium, workers have no way of repairing dwellings damaged by the rampaging elephants. Elephants knocked down Madan Pradhan's hut in 2005, killing five people. With no money for repairs, Pradhan now lives in a home, half of which has a blue tarpaulin for a roof, that is clearly inadequate to keep out either sun or rain.
More recently, in late June, Punai Oraon was killed when, at 12.45 am, he rushed out to deal with what he thought was a burglar, and encountered a wild elephant.
Image: Top left: Ramjhora's dilapidated tea factory may never function again.
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