New Delhi, May 24 -- This week, I indulged in some R&R (rest and relaxation), giving in to the intense summer days here in Puducherry. The afternoon lulls you into a state of inertia, and mirroring the life outside, I too chose to retreat inwards.

This week also saw the International Tea Day (celebrated on 21 May) with the theme being "Tea for better lives". There's a lot of preoccupation with the sustainability of the tea industry, in particular its financial viability. But this, as I discovered last month, is not new.

I spent half a day at the UPASI (United Planters' Association of Southern India) library in Coonoor. UPASI was formed back in 1893 and remains an important planters' body. My sights were set on the collection of old plan...