Why did #Chaiwala forget International Tea Day?
United Nations declared that June 21 will be celebrated as International Yoga Day. This development was attributed to Modi's diplomatic efforts for promoting yoga at the UN General Assembly in September. The Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) announced that December 25, birth anniversary of ex-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Hindu Mahasabha leader Madan Mohan Malviya, will be celebrated as "Good Governance Day".
Clearly, Modi has an uncanny proclivity for "days" and it is flabbergasting that he didn't give any official statement or made any mention of the International Tea Day, given that his tea seller background struck a chord with many voters and played a huge role in BJP's win.
Today, December 15, is International Tea Day. The day aims to draw global attention of governments and citizens to the impact of the global tea trade on workers, small growers and consumers. In fact, the first International Tea Day was celebrated in New Delhi in 2005.
Tea has played a big role in Indian politics. In early 2014, Congress Leader Mani Shankar Iyer's political jibe at Modi's past as a tea seller was cleverly converted into huge political campaign "Chai Pe Charcha". BJP wasted no time in rolling out the campaign within weeks of Iyer making the comment. Meenakshi Lekhi, BJP's spokesperson, went a step ahead and registered the NaMo tea party as a trademark.
Inadvertently, Iyer's remark formed the basis for an innovative and never seen before unique political campaign, which eventually helped BJP to sweep the Lok Sabha elections.
Before the elections, journalists and reporters often visit constituencies and study peoples' perceptions about the upcoming elections and whom will they vote for. More often than not, disenchanted voters say that politicians only come for votes during election season and then disappear for the next five years.
Perhaps, as like any other politician, Modi has extracted enough political mileage from his Chaiwala background and now being the Prime Minister and blue eyed boy of international media; he desires to forget his past and move on from his pracharak background. Now that the world has gladly accepted him and given him a rousing welcome everywhere, he wants to project himself amongst the world's elite.
His indifference to the International Tea Day is in gross desecration of his propaganda about maintaining India's traditions and values, which stresses strongly on staying connected to our roots and culture.
Additionally, he missed the golden opportunity to raise the plight of tea workers in north eastern states, who are struggling to manage even one square meal a day, and increasingly, more women tea workers are joining the sex trade. According to the "Right to Food campaign", an advisory committee to the Supreme Court, at least 69 tea workers have died due to hunger and malnutrition in the past one year across various tea plantations in West Bengal; which speaks of the pressing attention the industry needs.
But who cares as long as our Prime Minister is busy making enthralling speeches and playing with Koala bears. Let us celebrate Gharwapsi and do Yoga in our air conditioned rooms, while hundreds of tea workers die of extreme starvation.