Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia on Saturday raked up a a controversy when he announced at Jorhat in Assam that tea would be declared as national drink by April next year.

Coffee lovers, naturopaths and nutritionists have strongly opposed the proposal wondering how a beverage that could cause damage to health deserves the status of a national drink. A national drink should good for the health of all and its excess consumption should not cause any problems, they say, adding that tea if consumed in large quantities is bad for health.

The city-based National Institute of Nutrition, the premier research body that takes care of the nutrition and health needs of all Indians, in its “dietary guidelines” wa-rns, “Excess tea consumption is deleterious to health”.

Unmindful of the national dietary guidelines, Mr Montek Singh said, “The drink would be accorded national drink status by April 17 next year to coincide with the 212th birth anniversary of first Assamese tea planter and Sepoy Mutiny leader Maniram Dewan.”

Sharply reacting to the tea proposal, naturopaths demanded that tender coconut water, lassi, milk or nimbu pani (lemon water) should be declared as the national drink.

Mr Singh’s promise may have made tea planters and manufacturers happy, but senior nutritionist Suneetha Sapur, who heads the Akkshaya Foundation, argued, “Tea has tannins, which hinder the absorption of iron by 50 per cent. When the government has to spend crores of rupees to prevent anaemia, in the form of IFA tablets, awareness and on research to fortify foods to prevent anaemia, is it appropriate to promote tea that curtails the absorption of iron when taken along with meal.”

Said Dr Mohammad Azeem, a naturopath, “We have many traditional drinks that are not only nutritious, but also curative and preventive in nature. Tea may have a history of 212 years, but tender coconut water is as old as human origin. And who can deny the health benefits of lemon water, milk and lassi.”

Justifying his announcement, Dr Montek Singh said, “It was Maniram Dewan, who was not only the first indigenous tea planter but also involved in the national movement.” The other important reason is that half of the tea industry labour comprises women and is the largest employer in the organised sector.

He said India is the largest producer and consumer of black tea in the world. 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. Mr Singh also announced that a tearoom of international standard ‘Chai Bar’, the first of its kind in the region, would be soon opened at the Gauhati Tea Auction Centre. It will serve more than 50 types of best quality tea.

Chai took the lead among the trends on the microblogging site, Twitter, with VIPs too joining the debate. Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah tweeted, “on that note I end my rant. Will now go drown my sorrows in a mug of the national drink”.

Unreal times, a media website that mocks with fake news, said, “Koffee with Karan too be re-branded as Chai with Chaman in honour of national drink. One of the tweets said, “Umpire also celebrating news of national drink making T using his hands to declare strategic time out in IPL”.