There is one big difference too: In Kolkata it is just Bengalis. What amazed me about Hyde Park was the sheer variety of people from all walks of life from around the world - if anything is the epitome of multi-cultural, this is.
I hear, once the very beautiful daughter of Muammar Gadfhafi (who is now lawyer to Saddam Hussain) reached London, escaped her security detail and landed up to speak at the Speaker's Corner against "American Imperialism". As for the police, I did not see much uniforms, but I am sure there were plainclothes ones hanging around. With so many European Muslims of the fundamentalist variety putting in their rhetoric here, I would doubt it would be otherwise. --- [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > Ram says that the Speakersâ 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.âAddaâ 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 Rajivâs lively description > of an afternoon spent at the > Speakersâ Corner, Hyde Park. I am afraid the > cramped inside of a bus or tram > would not accommodate the spectacle which the > Speakersâ Corner is. > The Hyde Park Speakersâ Corner is an unique > symbol of democracy in Great > Britain. It symbolises free speech as well as > Britainâs major role in the modern > world. In Speakersâ 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. > Bhuba > > _______________________________________________ > assam mailing list > [email protected] > http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org > __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com _______________________________________________ assam mailing list [email protected] http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
