Montek brews a storm in a teacup
Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Satu-rday raked up a a controversy when he announced at Jorhat in Assam that tea would be declared as national drink by April next year.
Coffee lovers, naturopaths and nutritionists have strongly opposed the proposal wondering how a beverage that could cause damage to health deserves the status of a national drink. A national drink should good for the health of all and its excess consumption should not cause any problems, they say, adding that tea if consumed in large quantities is bad for health.
The city-based National Institute of Nutrition, the premier research body that takes care of the nutrition and health needs of all Indians, in its “dietary guidelines” wa-rns, “Excess tea consumption is deleterious to health”.
Unmindful of the national dietary guidelines, Mr Montek Singh said, “The drink would be accorded national drink status by April 17 next year to coincide with the 212th birth anniversary of first Assamese tea planter and Sepoy Mutiny leader Maniram Dewan.”
Sharply reacting to the tea proposal, naturopaths demanded that tender coconut water, lassi, milk or nimbu pani (lemon water) should be declared as the national drink.
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