Though we love having our daily dose of Irani chais and though we have at least one tea bandi in every lane, we still like our cup of filter 'kaafis' every morning. The recent declaration by the Planning Commission deputy chairmanm, Montek Singh Ahluwalia that tea will be the national drink by April next year has triggered a debate, with Amul jumping in to bat for milk and, now, people in the South standing up for coffee. Tea will gain its officially status as the national drink on April 17, 2013, coinciding with the 212th birth anniversary of the first Assamese tea planter and Sepoy Mutiny leader and also the first indigenous tea planter in India, Maniram Dewan. Ahluwalia also stated that with half of the tea industry’s labour comprising of women and also being the largest employer in the organised sector, these facts acted as grace points in favour of the beverage being declared as the National drink. According to ORG-India Tea Consumption Study, 83 per cent households in India consume tea and is the cheapest beverage in the world after water, but also adding to this, there are more than 20 varieties of coffee in the market, and coffee consumption in India as recorded by the Coffee Board of India, stands at 108,000 metric ton since 2010. Coffee lovers in the city surely look very disappointed and feel ignored at the decision. One such coffee-addict, Priya Karira, 20, says, “Whenever I feel low or tired, I just go and prepare a cup of coffee for myself because it is more rejuvenating and the aroma itself is the best stress buster. And I also prefer it over tea anyday and would want coffee to become the national drink.” Upset with the fact that government’s decision did not include people’s opinion, Kajjam Maheshwari, 20, a pharmacy student from the city says, “I would any day prefer coffee, as it starts off my day. I don’t see any reason as to why tea has to be nationalised. The decision was made without taking people’s opinion.” Adding to this Vamsi Kaka, a online content manager says, “This is not the first time that centre has taken a decision without consulting people. How can one declare tea as the national drink without even conducting a survey? For South-Indians, coffee is like a must in every household.” A new trend has also been picking up at tea stalls by the road side, where vendors have observed an increase in demand for coffee. When asked, the owner of a tea stall at Madhapur, Raju says, “I have started preparing coffee in my stall on public demand now. IT professionals come over asking for coffee. I don’t know why the government wants to make tea as the national drink. And it’s not like people will stop drinking coffee!” On the other hand, a few agree with the Centre’s decision. “Irani Chai has been Hyderabad’s heritage for decades now. In a city where people gulp down cups of Irani Chai, why does one have to even oppose something like this?,” asks Dhruti Choudhury, an IT professional. There others who also feel that neither tea or coffee are of Indian Origin and drinks like coconut water should also be in the race. “I love both coffee and tea, but I think neither of them should be declared as our national drinks as they do not originate from India. We have other options like coconut water, almond (badam) flavoured milk, jal jeera, lassi and many more, ” says Ameya Mondekar, an undergrad student. So, will the centre re-think their decision, or will chai now be given a patriotic label? Enjoy your cuppa of either tea or coffee and wait and see.
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