Splitting leaves

Counsel comes naturally with tea,notwithstanding Alexander Popes anti-climactic genius. Even if the semi-official discourse on tea roots its origins in China,the aromatic,healthy herb was known here in India of old. The British built the brand of Indian tea,and their empire,apparently,on cups of tea at least as far as a jocular strain of the story goes. So should India now symbolically reclaim what the global commerce in tea had synecdochically reduced to Darjeeling,Assam or Nilgiri long ago?

Well,it isnt a synecdoche. These teas of India are geographically exclusive,accounting for the best and most widely consumed teas around the world. While a uniquely strong,full-bodied tea contributed to the advent of modern Assam,a light-bodied,smooth,muscatel variety put Darjeeling on the world map. In 2010,India produced almost 970 million kg of tea (as against Chinas roughly 1,370 million kg),from January to April this year,Indias share in global production increased to 37.4 per cent from 34.12 per cent in 2010. India is also the worlds leading producer of black tea (the most consumed variety). Now,the North Eastern Tea Association (NETA),claiming 85 per cent of Indian households drink tea thereby making us the worlds largest tea-consuming country has asked the Centre to declare tea Indias national drink.

Symbolism apart,the declaration may be a good idea for bolstering the marketing of Indian tea. But the real problem of Indian tea lies not in its image abroad but the state of its estates. Tea gardens are in a bad shape,failing to break even,but working conditions and lack of labour welfare need policy redress. Thats the big,long-term job for the government,whether or not tea acquires a place on our list of national symbols.