Chai ka mamla hai!

Have you heard about the latest amazing piece of information? Deputy Chairman of Panning Commission, Montek Sing Ahluwalia has proposed that the household mix of tea would be accorded the status of 'national drink'.

While speaking on the occasion of Platinum Jubilee celebrations of the Assam Tea Planters Association, Mr. Ahluwalia declared that tea would be accorded national drink status by 17th April 2013.

It would coincide with the 212th birth anniversary of first Assamese tea planter and 1857 Mutiny leader Maniram Dewan.

Now we Indians are all too happy to enjoy cup of tea in the morning and 4 PM, or anytime for some of us. It is affordable, has got its typical taste, which many people relish.

So much so that, if a girl completely is in love with a guy, would croon - shaayad meri shaadi ka khayal dil me aaya hai, isiliye mummy ne meri tumhen chaai pe bulaya hai!

If we go in to details - the first record of usage of this stimulatory drink in India, is as early as 750-500 BC.

Commercial production of tea in India, however, started in full-fledged way, after British East India Company arrived here in India.   

    

Today India is the largest producer and consumer of black tea in the world. Some estimates say over 70% of the tea produced in India, is consumed here! India is also the world's largest tea-drinking nation par se.

According to ORG-India's Tea Consumption Study, 83 percent households in India consume tea regularly. Tea, it is found that, is the cheapest beverage in the world, other being drinkable water!

Ultimately what matters the most, is what Mr. Ahluwalia also informed - the important reason to declare tea as national drink is that, half of the tea industry labour force are women. And tea industry is the largest employer in the organised sector in India.

Postscript: while tea is in process of being declared 'national drink', managers of the $3 billion brand Amul (product of Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation) now assert that, milk should be the national drink!

The dangerous preconceptions of the today's young community

Are the values and good behavior on permanent decline in India? What is the thinking pattern of our next generation? Do they really care about gender equality & compassion? Are they concerned about the good citizenship, cultural and religious diversity?   
                               
Big questions. Wipro and Educational Initiatives carried out a study recently. Reasonably good numbers - 23,000 students of Standards IV, VI and VIII from 89 schools across the country.

Answers - some interesting, some utterly disgusting & a small number of positive trends.

Although there are few, let's just look at what are the positives first - 50% of the students believe that one's religion is secondary, people become familiar to each other via mutual respect and understanding of other religions. 45% of the students think highly of Police in the country, they 'trust' police will do their best to help people. 47% of Std VIII students feel that boys and girls are equally capable.

Now the real alarmingly horrible conclusions (and there are many of these) - 43% of the students think education for a girl is not as important as that for a boy & it is a waste of resources! 15% of the std VIII students believed that the girls are 'burden' for the parents.

60% of all the students surveyed are sure that they will not accept the immigrants from other states. Reason being the outsiders do not learn the new language, culture & traditions of the state they migrate to.

Almost 70% of the students feel that differently-abled/disabled people are burdensome to society and are not good in studies. This dearth of empathy is bizarre. What's more shocking - 60% of the students lack awareness about HIV & show lesser sensitivity towards HIV-affected people.

Almost 65% students have less personal/civic responsibility and repeat objectionable practices like ignore proper garbage disposal or adhere to basic traffic rules.

The kind of TV shows and films (even some news items) that are offered these days, in the guise of - 'we-offer-what-public-demands' - is a huge robber. Above 50% of the students think that it is ok to defend religious matters by the means of violence.

Let's just hope these extreme preconceived notions do not turn into concrete prejudices, gender bias, cultural and religious intolerance, and civic irresponsibility.
                  
The young observe us. Let's try to change these, through our words and deeds. 

And it is duty of each one of us!