|
Ram says that the Speakers’ Corner in Hyde Park, London,
has a parallel in Kolkata. It is a fact that the Bengalis do love a debate as can be seen
whenever a number of Bengalis gather together at some place, maybe even inside a bus or a tram.’Adda’ is a
very popular form of unscheduled group discussions amongst Bengalis and it is
perhaps just this institution which Ram visualised when he responded to Rajiv’s
lively description of an afternoon spent at the Speakers’ Corner, Hyde Park. I
am afraid the cramped inside of a bus or tram would not accommodate the
spectacle which the Speakers’ Corner is. The
Hyde Park Speakers’ Corner is an unique symbol of democracy in Great Britain. It
symbolises free speech as well as Britain’s major role in the modern world. In
Speakers’ Corner the Speaker is usually a single person challenging anybody and
everybody with a verbal duel with
him (or her, though female orators are rarely seen). He anticipates antagonism
and he is ready for it. He might be hustled up or shouted down. At the end
nothing untoward happens because of the presence of the police. After all it is
well-organised although the public may not be much aware of
it. |
_______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
