The tree of bixad (suffering): Cultural memory of struggle and resistance in Assam's tea plantation

The tree of bixad (suffering) in the Kesajaan tea plantation stands as a powerful symbol of both the cultural memory of struggle and resistance. This representation emerges from complex cultural formations and the historical relationship between colonial powers and plantation labourers. The construction of cultural memory illuminates a specific modality of power relations that persists into postcolonial times. This article examines how these cultural memories evolved into forms of resistance politics that challenge the plantation authorities. The tree holds profound cultural significance for the residents of the Kesajaan plantation. According to the residents, during the colonial period, the punishment inflicted on labourers by planters sometimes resulted in death, and the deceased were subsequently to have transformed into ghostly entities. In contemporary times, residents categorise these dead as protective guardians of the plantation. This article further explores how plantation residents maintain cultural memories of colonial and postcolonial violence through ghostly entities. Through this examination, my central argument emphasises the importance of recognising these previously undocumented cultural memories and their role in shaping resistance politics.