Arunachal ‘brews love’ for local teas on Valentine’s Day
The Hindu
The first Arunachal Tea Festival timed with the international day for the commercial celebration of romance to promote the locally-produced beverage
A part of Arunachal Pradesh sipped by the Siang River on Tuesday to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a tea twist.
The Arunachal Pradesh Agriculture Marketing Board (APAMB) slotted the first Arunachal Tea Festival on the day associated globally with the commercial celebration of romance to “brew love” for locally-produced teas.
The event involving small-tea growers across the State and entrepreneurs who brand niche teas was held at a resort on the banks of the Siang River in Pasighat, the headquarters of the East Siang district.
“We do not have big estates and factories but there are small tea growers who have been braving challenges to produce various kinds of teas on a small scale. This festival was envisaged to celebrate a day for love by showcasing various grades, qualities and brands of local tea,” APAMB’s chief executive officer, Okit Palling told The Hindu.
The idea was to promote tea drinking among the youth and give a platform for tea growers, entrepreneurs and marketing specialists for sharing knowledge and information, he said.
The State’s Agriculture and Horticulture Minister, Tage Taki said on Tuesday that the festival would be made a calendar event under APAMB and efforts would be made to expand the scope and scale of the event from the next edition.
“Tea growers in the State should move towards becoming fully organic to ensure a healthy drink remains healthy,” he said.
The Opposition Congress demanded that the government open the Gandhi Vatika Museum, depicting Mahatma Gandhi’s legacy and freedom struggle, built at a cost of ₹85 crore in Jaipur’s Central Park last year, during the Congress-led regime in Rajasthan. The museum has not been opened to the public, reportedly because of the administration’s engagements with the State Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
Almaya Munnettam (Lay People to the Fore), group in the Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church opposed to the synod-recommended Mass, rejected a circular issued by Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil and apostolic administrator Bosco Puthur on June 9 to implement the unified Mass in the archdiocese from July 3.
Pakistan coach Gary Kirsten stated that “not so great decision making” contributed to his side’s defeat to India in the Group-A T20 World Cup clash here on Sunday. The batting unit came apart in the chase, after being well placed at 72 for two. With 48 runs needed from eight overs, Pakistan found a way to panic and lose. “Maybe not so great decision making,” Kirsten said at the post-match press conference, when asked to explain the loss.