Planning Commission chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia’s promise to declare tea as the national drink may have made tea planters and manufacturers happy, but senior nutritionist Suneetha Sapur, who heads the Akkshaya Foundation, argued, “Tea has tannins, which hinder the absorption of iron by 50 per cent. When the government spends crores of rupees to prevent anaemia, in the form of IFA tablets, awareness and on research to fortify foods, is it appropriate to promote tea that curtails the absorption of iron?”
Sharply reacting to the tea proposal, naturopaths demanded that tender coconut water, lassi, milk or nimbu pani should rather be declared as the national drink. Said Dr Mohammad Azeem, a naturopath, “We have many traditional drinks that are not only nutritious, but also curative and preventive in nature. Tea may have a history of 212 years, but tender coconut water is as old as human origin. And who can deny the health benefits of lemon water and lassi?”
Justifying his announcement, Dr Ahluwalia said, “Maniram Dewan was not only the first indigenous tea planter, but he was also involved in the Indepen-dence movement.” Another reason is that half of the tea industry labour comprises women and is the largest employer in the organised sector.
He said, “India is the largest producer and consumer of black tea in the world.” According to ORG-India Tea Consumption Study, 83 per cent households in India consume tea and this is the cheapest beverage in the world after water. Mr Singh also announced that a tearoom of international standard Chai Bar, the first of its kind in the region, would soon be opened at the Gauhati Tea Auction Centre.
Chai took the lead among the trends on Twitter, with VIPs too joining the debate. Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah tweeted, “On that note I end my rant. Will now go drown my sorrows in a mug of the national drink.”