‘Chai vegetarian hi hota hai’: Railway official tries to pacify passenger protesting halal tea packs

A passenger objects to halal certification on tea packets served onboard a train. An official tries to pacify him, repeatedly telling him that tea is vegetarian. Footage of the exchange has sparked a raging debate on Twitter around food certification and its religious connotations.

The undated video, filmed by the passenger himself, shows him asking the official why his packet of masala chai premix is halal-certified. “Sawan ka mahina chal raha hai, aap halal chai pila rahe hain (You are serving halal tea during the month of Sawan),” he tells the hapless official, who responds: “Chai vegetarian hi hota hai, sir (Tea is always vegetarian).”

In Hinduism, the month of "Sawan" holds religious and cultural importance. Many Hindus observe fasts during this month and consume only simple vegetarian meals after sunset.

In the clip, the passenger appears to be suspicious that the halal certification could mean that his packet of tea premix is non-vegetarian. The Railways official tries to put his mind at ease, pointing to the green dot which signifies the product is vegetarian. The passenger remains unconvinced, repeatedly asking why the ‘halal’ mark is there in the first place.
Halal certified food refers to food products that have been prepared, processed, and handled according to Islamic dietary laws and guidelines. The term "halal" is an Arabic word that translates to "permissible" in English. In the context of food, it specifically denotes items that are permissible for Muslims to consume.

While vegetarian foods generally do not contain meat or animal by-products, there are vegetarian food items that may not be considered halal. For example, some vegetarian food products, such as certain desserts, may contain alcoholic ingredients which would make them non-halal.