The weather here continues to follow a topsy turvy pattern, shattering the flickering hopes of a good summer, with lashing torrential rains and thunderstorms. But the raging storm these days is called Faria Alam. A once-small-time model, the 38-year-old Bangladeshi FA secretary is making huge bucks by spilling her sexual escapades with the high-profile England Football coach Sven-Goran Eriksson. I am no moral judge, neither a supporter of kiss-and-tell stories, but I have a few questions about this new interpretation of British morality.
In India, lurid sexual details of politicians, celebrities and superstars seldom ever hog media attention, except in some gossip columns of glossy Bollywood magazines. Does that make us Indians immoral? Well, everyone here, be it at social gatherings or at serious work meetings, finds a few minutes to lick their lips and discuss Alam's sexual prowess - mostly men of course (and then they say women gossip!) - no one seems to question the morality of the men involved.
Yes, it is true, as one columnist wrote that the likes of Alam, Rebecca Loos of David Beckham fame and President Clinton's Monica Lewinsky are a new breed of females making up a new class of prostitution. They are not dumb blondes, with boob jobs or acrylic nails and hair extensions. The allure of all these seemingly nice girls is that the men trust them. And it seems a bit bizarre that after going to town with every intimate sexual detail, Alam now worries whether anyone will marry her.
But what about the men? In all three cases, they were exploiting junior employees. And all of them in powerful positions. So, can it be said, that power gives a man the right to use women and walk away free? I don't believe these women were vulnerable, innocent victims. They knew what they were doing. And they are gleefully making money out of their actions. But why only point a finger at the women? What about these men? If it is about satisfying their sexual needs, they can, well, go ahead and pay for it. But they are interested in freebees!
All these men were in marriages and long-term relationships when they were caught out. And they used their powerful positions to get what they wanted. Well, yes, as many would say, most men do it but some get caught. Agreed, these are all consenting adults. So why not leave their personal lives out of the media? Or else let both be equally tarnished with the morality brush. And what about publicists who grab such situations and make the most of it while pocketing a good fortune for themselves? Wouldn't the word 'pimp' be apt for them? Also, what does the media do? Pay heavily to publish every lurid detail, titillating the animal instincts of its readers, and jumping higher on the circulation ladder. And then we dissect the character of these women and talk of morality!
{{/usCountry}}All these men were in marriages and long-term relationships when they were caught out. And they used their powerful positions to get what they wanted. Well, yes, as many would say, most men do it but some get caught. Agreed, these are all consenting adults. So why not leave their personal lives out of the media? Or else let both be equally tarnished with the morality brush. And what about publicists who grab such situations and make the most of it while pocketing a good fortune for themselves? Wouldn't the word 'pimp' be apt for them? Also, what does the media do? Pay heavily to publish every lurid detail, titillating the animal instincts of its readers, and jumping higher on the circulation ladder. And then we dissect the character of these women and talk of morality!
{{/usCountry}}Another controversy waiting to be unleashed will be the broadcast of Channel 4's documentary Edge of the City, later this month. The documentary about child abuse by Muslim gangs in Bradford, was postponed suddenly in May after the film was hijacked by the BNP which declared it a 'Party Political Broadcast', fuelling fears racial tension in Bradford.
The documentary is about how these Muslim gangs 'groom' young white girls, some as young as 10 or 11 and entice them into a life of sexual and drug abuse. The accounts by some of the mothers of these young girls is bound to hurt the sensibilities of any decent human being, amidst fears that the city which has already been hit by race riots a few years ago, will be further split on race lines. This is not the first time, such revelations will come to light. Some time ago leaflets were being distributed reportedly by Muslim extremists in the Midlands, encouraging Muslim men to lure young white and Sikh girls through drugs and alcohol and force them to convert to Islam.
The Channel 4 documentary is already under fire from some Muslim and left-wing organisations, but such ugly truths cannot be swept under the carpet for the sake of political correctness. And neither should political parties use such social atrocities to gain electoral mileage.
Anyway, for the Indians here, some new faces have arrived. The Indian High Commission has got a new High Commissioner, after Mr Ronen Sen, who left in April and is now India's envoy in the US. Earlier this month his successor Mr Kamlesh Sharma took charge. A career diplomat Mr Sharma retired from the post of India's Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York in May 2002. Apart from his career achievements, he is known to be a great entertainer and host. So we can look forward to some interesting times.
Sadly though, Mr Navdeep Suri, counsellor Press and Information at the High Commission will be missed by many scribes here, as he returns to India, to take up his responsibilities at the Ministry of External Affairs. During his four-year tenure here, it can be said about Mr Suri, that it was a job well done, and wish him the best for the future.
Basere se dur, we now welcome Mr Sharma and Mr Suri's successor Mr KS Bhardwaj.