A video of a passenger complaining over 'Halal' tea served on an Indian Railways coach has surfaced online and gone viral. It shows the Hindu passenger raising concern over the product as it states 'Halal' and makes him worry whether the beverage is a non-veg one.
While the Arabic term translates to 'permissible' which comes in contrast to haram (forbidden), it is usually used to refer to meat or animal-related products. In the video, we can hear the man calling in an IRCTC official and informing him of the matter and the resulting inconvenience.
IRCTC staff responds to passenger
“Sawan ka mahina chal raha hai, aap halal chai pila rahe hain (You are serving halal tea during the month of Sawan),” he says. To this, the staff replies confirming that the tea is vegetarian and says, "Chai vegetarian hi hota hai, sir (Tea is vegetarian only).” However, he acknowledges the issue raised by the passenger and assures him that necessary care would be taken in this regard to ensure no other traveller on the transport faces any problem.
The passenger was allegedly travelling on Vande Bharat Express and was served a tea of the brand 'Chaizup.' It was learned that the tea premix had a 'halal certification' to it despite carrying a '100% vegetarian' stamp which made the passenger confused and worried about consuming it, especially during the ongoing holy month of Shravan.
More about Halal certification
The Halal certification states that the food or the products are permissible for the followers of Islam. Halal India is India’s leading provider of Halal Certifications, which is recognized in 120 countries.
A couple of years ago, Sri Ram Sene and Hindu Janajagruti Samiti pointed out that despite having government agencies such as FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), the halal certificate was being imposed upon Hindus in the country. It was also said that such foods are spiritually unfit for offering as well as consumption.
