London: A different home

Indian food industry and Bollywood have made London a home away from home for us, writes Vijay Dutt.

The chance meetings with people one knew back home, strange happenings that make world headlines and the delectable cuisine from even countries one hardly hears about, all make London an exciting city. A happening place that exudes youthful vibrancy despite being centuries old. And of course, the Indian food industry and Bollywood have made London a home away from home for all of us Indians. All this I am saying despite the fact that the sun has not been seen over the city for over a fortnight and there is no sign that we will have its "darshan" before next year.

We crib about how expensive it is to live here, we murmur about racism, we complain about traffic snarls, lack of sunshine and open air yet we, Indians, can hardly find a place outside our country, that is so much accommodating and open to what I call the Indian invasion that started way back in the 1920s and continues even now.

Just a few days ago I found that in Hatton Gardens, the "mecca" of diamond dealers in London, where the ambience and look is still of the early 20th century Britain, there is an Indian restaurant defying all the old typically English pubs and the likes of Pizza Hut, symbols of post-war American culture. The Indian eatery has held on despite the fact that hardly any countrymen venture into the area, dominated by Jew wholesale diamond dealers and Englishmen, who appear to have lived there for centuries. The reason for its existence, I am told, is that the "non-Indians have developed a taste for spicy food" and the young believe that the bhuna king prawns mixed with special Indian spices act somewhat like viagra, of course without the fear of side-effects. I suspect this belief has been given much stoking by all concerned.

At a nearby upmarket bar I found the pucca sahibs and memsahebs, mostly in formal attire, drinking their pints and talking in muted tones, all so 30s in culture and so unlike the "hungama" in Central London pubs. There two, was a saying, written in big letters, "God made water, Man made wine". That has made me ruminate. Who is more clever God or Man. What do you think?

Now Victoria after Diana
The media, writers, her butlers and security officers have all been making hundreds of thousands, and some even millions, churning out details of the love life of Princess Diana. But now I find that Queen Victoria, gone decades ago, would turn in her grave, given the stuff being written about her private life. Yes of course one media columnist who claims to be an expert on British history said that knowing what he does about the Grand Old Lady, she would possibly grin and chuckle rather than squirm.

A letter has been published which was written on March 30, 1883 from Windsor by her to Earl of Cranbrook, a close friend and Secretary of State for India. It is claimed to credence to the unsubstantiated rumours about her closeness and regard for her Highland Manservant John Brown, after the death of her husband Prince Albert in 1861.

Her relationship with the unconventional Scot was he subject of gossip in the Royal Family and the Court. Some old-timers in India too recalled their earlier generations hearing about it, the gossip having possibly reached the country's shores via P&O boats. Her daughters it is now being claimed referred to Brown as "Mama's lover" and the Royal household referred to him as her "stallion". Mrs Brown became her popular nickname, after the rumour that she had secretly married him after her husband's death.