On 14th June, 2019, we spent the whole day in the room itself, for I was busy finalising a paper
which I have to give as a key note on Monday. However, in the evening we got good advise to go
for a walk towards Soho Square by Pradipta Chowdhry, an old friend.Today morning during breakfast,
I saw a gentleman who looked familiar but since he was bald, I was not sure if he was the one I had
in mind. How ever, I could not resist and finally approached him and asked excuse me, are you by
any chance Pradipta and he said, I was waiting to see if you recognise me Rekha for I had recognised
ypu the moment I saw you. We then spent a lot of time catching up. Pradipta and I were young
lecturers at the University of Hyderabad in early 1990's and were very much involved with the
Women's Studies. He had soon left HCU and migrated to Delhi. Today he is a Professor in Economics
and also a Dean of the School at JNU. He was visiting London School of Economics. I teased him
saying, I remember you with thick black hair and see I have not changed, I still have black hair and
yours have disappeared and we laughed. On his advise we walked to Soho Square which is about a
mile from our place where we are staying. I had read the name Soho Square in many English novels.
Established in 1680, this was one of the poshest area of London and was called the King's Square.
There is a statue of Charles II, in the Centre of the Square with a lovely garden. A cute little Tudor hut
finds its place here and there are many roumers that under this had a hidden tunnel to Buckingham
Palace. However, the truth is that there was an underground Electricity station here and the hut is
certainly not Tudor. During the second World War this became a bomb shelter and could accommodate
150 to 200 people. This area is still a posh area and boasts of many eminent.houses of 20th Cen Fox,
Dolby Europe, has a lot of eating joints and pubs. It was amazing to walk on this street and we could
feel that there was a happy weekend Friday spirit all around. Many Happy hour Boards were displayed.
We could see Friday revellers on the road and a huge crowd of people waiting with discipline outside
the pubs with drinks in their hands. Besides the noisy pubs with youngsters there were quiet pubs
where one can see aged people and families. There were a number of dust bins in the Square. People
were stiitting and having a drink and I could see much discipline. I could not help remember my visit to
Araku, which in the outskirts was filled with liquor bottles and plastic cups thrown around. The driver
there had told us that people come to enjoy here. I really wonder when will we become responsible
citizens of our country and owe it. There is no issues with enjoyment but my objection is when they
leave the remanances of this enjoyment littered on the road for they do not owe the place where they
had their enjoyment.
