Every Thursday evening, any ordinary ‘thadi’ (stall in the local language) here becomes the venue for a special session over tea. Important not because the tea is special but because those who make and serve it are the who’s who of society and have a message for visitors.
The scene is just like any other tea stall with the aroma from a pot of boiling tea, the fragrance of cardamom, crushed ginger and the aromatic blend of the tea leaves — empty milk crates double up as stools and cement blocks as tables. But the group of well-clad, renowned professionals including doctors and lawyers and the regular visitors of this thadi, the common people, are gathered here under the banner of ‘Legal Mitra’, an NGO active in Rajasthan that works on policy advocacy.
The ‘Thursday Tea Talk’ encourages people to record a three-minute video by shedding inhibitions and speaking about important issues and turning people into active and vocal citizens. At these thadis, the tea talk shared by renowned lawyers, doctors, artists, upcoming singers and other experts from varied fields and the hint of legal and first aid methods printed on the disposable cups make this ‘tea’ a talking point in the town. At one such evening, Pankaj Gupta, Head of the Department of Neurosurgery at a renowned Hospital in Jaipur, discusses the cause and prevention of ‘backache.’ He says: “It is almost after 30 years that I am back to the basics. This initiative has made me remember my college days.” “We started these tea talks in 2010 but it did not interest people who had their own agendas and topics to discuss. It was over time we realised the need for a connection between all these people and the answer came in the form of teacups. The 800 unique disposable teacups, each printed with a unique law, first aid method, steps against child abuse, women rights, arrest, FIR, heart attack, stroke, and others and the strong opinions raised by people are the highlights of various Legal Mitra events. Now our helpline rings continuously and people flock to the TTT [Thursday Tea Talk],” says Ritesh Sharma, convener of Legal Mitra.
