Kishwar Desai | Travel on London's Tube with no pants; movie halls in UK open door to pets
It is foggy and cold in London, but then with typical British humour — someone decided that this is the ideal time for a “No Trousers Day”. Thus, last week, the event which was publicised on Facebook, persuaded some hot-blooded commuters to drop their trousers and emerge only in their underpants and knickers — decorously covered only by goosebumps.
Yes, seriously — this is now an annual event. You get the most colourful sights with bare legs flashing as both men and women have a lark, particularly on the tube. I imagine that this could only happen in London — and that in most other countries the concept itself could cause a riot — especially if you are using public transport.
In India, certainly the cops would have arrested the whole lot of revellers — even before they stepped out in their fashionable undies and prosecuted Facebook. And perhaps they would have even arrested the manufacturers of the underwear for instigating the event through their provocative designs! But here it is just considered innocent “fun”…
So — when the temperatures are dropping — these pranksters drop their pants — each year. In these days of “Me Too” movements — the fact that office goers can sit next to each other, in public — in their underwear — boggles the mind. But the great thing is that there were no salacious moments and the event passed off peacefully.
On the other hand, what continues to generate anger is an older case of sexual harassment and abuse by the so-called “grooming gangs” mainly from Manchester, Rochdale and Telford. However, the men who groomed young British schoolgirls and cruelly exploited them were mostly of Pakistani origin. And many of them were taxi drivers.
Unfortunately, the media continues to call them “Asian gangs.” This has raised red flags in the Indian community who believe that there should be further distinction and the gangs should be referred to as “Pakistani,” not Asian, as that is misleading.
In a bid to embarrass the Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, Elon Musk has also added fuel to the fire, saying on X that the PM did not deal properly with the issue while he was head of the Crown Prosecution Service between 2008 and 2013. He has gone to the extent of saying that the Prime Minister was “deeply complicit in the mass rapes in exchange for votes”. This of course has been denied by the PM who says that Musk is stirring up a controversy where there is none, as there was a thorough investigation into the case.
But the issue has many in Parliament up in arms as well — and the leader of the Opposition, Kemi Badenoch, has demanded a further inquiry.
She has raised eyebrows by stating that these men come from “sub-communities” and are not even in touch with the countries of their origin.
The government has now finally announced another investigation. Musk’s intervention only reinstates the accusation often thrown at Labour that they are soft on a particular community. On a broader note — it is also dangerous that X continues to drive the narrative.
There is a feeling of political chill all around as we are all waiting for the inauguration of Donald Trump’s next term, today. What he will unleash in the unsuspecting world, especially on Europe, is the subject of constant discussion. The leader of the Liberals here suggested that when Trump visits UK we should tell him that he will not get an invitation to dine with His Majesty. That threat should make him behave! It is also widely feared that he may not bring the PM up on the top of the queue for his first meet and greet — due to Labour’s known support for Kamala Harris. Do these “beauty pageants” really matter is what I am wondering when there are so many other issues to deal with!
For example, let us give love where we are most likely to receive it back. Especially to our pets. Recognising that, cinema theatres in London now allow owners to take their pets with them to watch movies. Apparently, these pets are so well-trained that they do not make any noise, but quietly enjoy the film and the popcorn. These shows are called Dog Day Afternoons. The pets like these outings so much that they even acknowledge the presence of their fellow creatures without a bark.
For those passionate about theatre — there is sad news: The demise of Joan Plowright who was married to Laurence Olivier and acted in both plays and films. She was 95 — but one always feels sad seeing the end of an era. She had the singular distinction of acting with Laurence Olivier in the Ionesco play “Rhinoceros” directed by Orson Welles. She was given the title of Dame for her acting career but then as the wife of Lord Laurence Olivier she was Lady Olivier as well, a rare double. In her honour London theatres are going to be dimming their lights for two minutes on the next Tuesday.
