International Tea Day: Celebrating One of the Most Popular Beverages

GUWAHATI: International Tea Day was started in India on December 15 in the year 2005 to celebrate one of the most popular beverages in the world. In 2015 the Government of India suggested the United Nations declared it a UN event as the consumers of this beverage are spread across the world. Following this, the United Nations declared May 21 as International Tea Day marking the beginning of the tea production season in most countries. However, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Indonesia, Kenya, Malawi, Malaysia, Uganda, Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka continue to celebrate it on December 15.

Tea, as we know it today, was discovered by the British in China. The British then discovered the prospects and started the commercial cultivation of this crop in different parts of India and the rest of the world. The discovery of some wild tea varieties of the crop in parts of Assam led them to set up a Tea Research Station in the Jorhat district of modern-day Assam.

India comes forth in terms of the export of tea because about 80% of the production is consumed locally. As of today, some of the costliest and most exotic varieties of tea come from the tea gardens of India, including Assam. It is also a very labour-intensive crop, meaning that it employs a huge number of people. They work at different levels starting with cultivation, plucking and processing and ending at selling and serving. But the people working at the lowest ranks of this million-dollar industry still suffer in poverty and lack amenities and opportunities.

Development of the Tea Heritage of the state as a tourism factor is on the cards of the latest state government of Assam. As a part of the ongoing development process, heritage bungalows of tea gardens across the state are being renovated and redecorated to accommodate tourists.

International Tea Day was also celebrated on the premises of Guwahati International Airport today. As an initiative to increase awareness about Assam Tea, representatives of Goodwyn and Karangini brands served different varieties of tea free of cost to tourists arriving at the airport. Notably, this is the first time that the airport is celebrating this event pertaining to one of the biggest industries of the state of Assam.

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