Chai Wallahs of India » OdishaChai Wallahs of India http://chaiwallahsofindia.com Zach and Resham tell stories of chai wallahs from the country’s many distinct regions. Mon, 11 Apr 2016 17:53:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.7.1 India’s One-Woman Tea Party http://chaiwallahsofindia.com/2013/12/indias-one-woman-tea-party/ http://chaiwallahsofindia.com/2013/12/indias-one-woman-tea-party/#comments Mon, 02 Dec 2013 09:01:31 +0000 http://chaiwallahsofindia.com/?p=1478 We’ve seen the role chai can play in politics, whether in Bihar where the BJP set up NaMo tea stalls to remind voters of PM candidate Narendra Modi’s past as a chai wallah, or in Haryana where having a cup with villagers is an essential part of any campaign stop. But in the remote hills of southwestern Odisha, tea […]

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]]> We’ve seen the role chai can play in politics, whether in Bihar where the BJP set up NaMo tea stalls to remind voters of PM candidate Narendra Modi’s past as a chai wallah, or in Haryana where having a cup with villagers is an essential part of any campaign stop. But in the remote hills of southwestern Odisha, tea isn’t just part of a publicity stunt or a meet-and-greet ritual, it’s the party symbol.

tea-party-odisha

Ahalya Kandapan, a local politician from the small village of Kelar, uses the tea kettle on her campaign posters as a symbol of everyday life. “I represent common people and common people drink tea,” she said.

Check out our article in the New York Times on Mrs. Kandapan’s fight for good governance in this often underrepresented part of the country.

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