First a bit of geography - Assam (or Asom) is one of the ‘Seven Sister States' in the far northeast of India, which are surrounded by Bangladesh, Burma, China and Bhutan, with only a small corridor of land linking them to the rest of India.

As the Indian Airlines Airbus descended through the soupy clouds of the monsoon, the flat alluvial plain of the Brahmaputra valley was spread out below. It was clear that Assam would be unlike any other tea-growing region I'd visited on my travels so far. The view was a mix of paddy fields, glistening rivers, pools and tributaries, and as we approached the runway of Dibrugah airport, the tea fields themselves came into view, neatly arranged with lines of shade trees and the colourful smudges of tea pluckers beginning moving through the morning round.

At the airport, I was met by my first host, Sudeep, manager of Hokonguri estate along with a man holding a machine gun. I am used to the heavy military presence at Indian airports and thought nothing of the various men in camouflage milling around outside the arrivals area. However, I was a little more surprised to see that said armed man would be accompanying us to the estate. I had heard of ongoing troubles in Assam, though was unsure what form they might take. Sudeep gave me a bit of background to the Assamese separatist movements. It seems in recent years, though the violence has abated a little, political motivations have taken a back seat to more lucrative criminal activities. With the tea industry central to the Assamese economy, managers on estates have often found themselves targets of militants. Although everyone assured me this area was safe, the precaution of armed guards is taken at most tea factories.

I've been getting used to the Kolkata style of driving, with liberal horn usage, unpredictable turns and intriguing interpretations of traffic laws. The roads in Assam are a little calmer, though they have an extra danger in a distinctly bovine form.

The cattle of Assam like nothing better than to sleep, stand around and wander about on the road. They are all rather blasé about their potentially precarious position, or so it might seem to an outsider. In fact their sacred role within Hindu culture means divers will go to great lengths to avoid a collision, even more so than any other pedestrians, be they human or goat (I noticed the goats have a remarkable turn of pace when confronted with a Tata 4x4).

On my trip I would be visiting the estates of Hokonguri, Moran and Namroop. All names that I had only known as tea samples in the tasting room. Everywhere I was treated to great Assamese hospitality, staying, as is customary here, in the manager's home.

My last stop was at Desam Tea Estate, here I would meet up with Ranjan, who is the Regional Manager of the Ethical Tea Partnership in India, along with Arunima and Avik, two outside auditors who would be monitoring the Estate for the ETP.

You can learn all about the ETP on this website. In short, it's a way for Tetley, along with other tea packers to ensure that the estates, factories and gardens from whom we buy are doing so in a socially responsible way by adhering to the laws of their respective countries. In India this means monitoring the producers' observance of the Plantation Labour Act. At Desam as with most tea estates in India, the estate doesn't only provide paid work for their employees but schools, a hospital with a full time Doctor dedicated to the estate, dispensaries and social clubs.

The ETP Monitors come to observe the estate working and speak to those directly affected by the legislation. This means heading into the fields themselves to talk to the workforce. The estate manager, Mr. Roy, took us on a tour of the fields so Arunima and Avik could meet the pluckers. However, all interviews with workers must be carried out in strict confidence, which meant Mr Roy and the other managers had to stay out of the way while the monitors got on with their work, which they duly did.

The estates have a Welfare Officer who is responsible for this wide range of facilities and services. Every week he holds ‘vichar', which is a kind of court where workers on the estate can present any requests or grievances. When the workforce numbers over 1000 people supporting a surrounding community of over 7000 there is never a dull moment.

The interviews over, the paperwork checks carried on into the humid Assam night. Thankfully there was plenty of fresh tea on offer to keep the team going. At the end of it all a report would be written with suggestions for the management. After two weeks of monitoring visits Ranjan, Arunima and Avik were ready to return to Kolkata, and I was about to head back to the city too. However, it's not so much goodbye Assam, but ‘see you later' as in 10 days I'll be back, though this time on the North bank...