Sunday, September 21, 2025, commemorates National Chai Day, a tribute to the aromatic, soothing, and mildly caustic drink ubiquitous in the bustling tea stalls of India. Traditionally, this beverage would cost a minimal sum, served in a hand-crafted terra cotta cup, lending the tea a distinctive undertone. Alas! With evolving times, petrified clay has given way to plastic or paper vessels. The chai, nonetheless, continues to captivate with its powerful blend of black tea, wholesome milk, water, dark peppercorns, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and the aromatic cardamom.
Contrary to many lactose-infused teas, where milk is merely an add-on to the water-brewed concoction, classic masala chai treats milk as the primary brewing medium. The particular tea stall, Krishna’s Tea Stall, the sign of which boasts of being the ‘best in Bundi’, can certainly affirm the authenticity of this statement. Bundi is a city nestled in the grandeur of Rajasthan, but the precise whereabouts of this tea stall remains elusive. The popular beverage it serves, the ‘masala chai,’ translates to ‘spiced tea’, offering a compelling narrative about the chai-drinking culture in India.
Meanwhile, the day also offers a plethora of other celebrations such as World Gratitude Day, National Beef Stroganoff Day, National Women’s Friendship Day, National Brunch Day, National Pecan Cookie Day, and National Sponge Candy Day. These festivities, however, seem to risk overshadowing pivotal issues that continue to be swept under the carpet. One of such is the declining public credibility of network channels, which appear to have fallen prey to personal biases and convictions, thus abandoning the facade of neutrality.
Such a distorted view of reality did not spring into existence overnight. It is a gradual intensification of illiberal tribalism, a complex sociopolitical dynamic. My expectation was that after the tumultuous tenure of Donald Trump, these platforms would regain their balance, encouraging a diversity of opinions and striving to secure public trust.
Rather surprisingly, Trump’s actions have only fanned the flames of discord. His approach to ‘hate speech’ is unorthodox: instead of quelling it, he actively supports it. He has broken all precedents by challenging household names like CBS, the De Moines Register, the WSJ, NYT, and Penguin Random/House for lèse majesté, a concept usually unheard of in the realm of presidential reigns.
Adding to the political furore, an increasing number of Democrats are eschewing caution to throw their support behind Zohran Mamdani, the socialist contender for New York City’s mayoral race. Given the city’s strong-mayor system, the potential ascendancy of a socialist leader in the world’s most renowned city is bound to cause domestic and international ripples.
Irrespective of the underlying political beliefs, such fervent backing for a socialist candidate is worthy of note. Amidst this wave of support, the dwindling faction of Mamdani’s political comrades who are vocal about the real implications of his political economics deserves commendation.
Assertive, top-down, economic policies, characteristic of Mamdani’s ideology, could bear significant consequences, especially for the city’s most vulnerable inhabitants. Vigilance and discernment are thus key in these volatile political times.
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