'London Memoirs'

Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme:

What can I say about London that you don’t already know? Besides being the most visited tourist city in the world with its disrepute monarchy, London indeed has a lot to offer. First of all, its cultural diversity needs to be applauded. Asian restaurants, African shops, Belgian chocolatiers, Parisian fashion are all testimony of its cultural richness that is so starkly visible at every turn.What’s amazing is the seamless merge of history and modernism on every  street. 

To tell you about my scholarship programme-well its after 6 years that the Chevening Scholarship programme has been opened up for Indian journalists. This time around it also opened its doors to journalists from Pakistan. It's a 8 week programme for senior journalists and the central theme of the Course is Good Governance in a Changing World: The Media, Politics and Accountability. The course is different from the previous scholarships in the sense that previous programmes there was fair amount of training on how to write. In this programme we are not being trained to write but being trained for leadership skills and right decision making abilities etc.  We are expected to write an academic paper for the topics we have chosen for our individual projects. 

Its been an interesting three weeks so far with loads of lectures, seminars and study visits to places like the British Library, BBC and Sky News, Oxford and Cantebury, attending seminar's around the central theme. In the first week. we had sessions on the Future of Media. In the second week it was all about Holding the Powerful to Account where we discussed accountability of Media, morality and community, whether the Media is trust worthy. In Britain do people trust newspapers or TV news and surprisingly, BBC scored higher with people trusting the BBC to another newspaper or TV news channels or even the Government. The third week saw some interesting sessions on Social Democracy, Ethics and Values.  We got an insight into the Levenson enquiry of the phone-hacking case. Also it was interesting to note how even organisations like BBC and Sky News have moved into integrated news rooms. 

BBC's headquarters has shifted this month from the histroic Bush house to bigger office building comprising of 8 floors and very large Integrated newsroom where all journalists across, TV, Radio and Online will be sitting together thereby sharing resources. Similarly, Sky News also has an integrated newsroom. Indeed, the integrated newsroom has achieved substantial savings for BBC that helped compensate for declining licence fee income.So has integrated newsroom become need of the hour or is it is just a cost cutting mechanism. a senior official at BBC says its both. While cost is reduced drastically with synergies being drawn from various sections and one journalist doing more than just reporting for TV but also doubles up as a radio correspondent and writes of online etc....and vice versa. Integration has indeed become need of the hour today across the world. Many across the BBC are being taught new skills so that they can work seamlessly across the various platforms of delivering news. 

We are into our Fourth week of the course and its been hectic so far. This week our theme is How Britain sees the World?. As part of this theme there are visits to the Trade Union Congress, The British Parliament, House of Commons and the House of Lords. Week 5 will see us discussing Governance, development and security.  We have been meeting up with some very senior journalists from the BBC and Sky news for instance we had a session with Tim Marshall -the war and foreign correspondent of Sky News, Andrew Whitehead who spent quite a few years covering South Asia based out of Delhi to name a few. 

All in all the scholarship programme is good. Unfortunately we do not have a choice in selecting our placements.   

We are also most fortunate to be also living the most happening place -'Hyde Park'. The 335 acre huge Hyde Park is just 5 minutes away and therefore do not miss out on my morning runs or cycling. The nearest tube stations are Queensway Station and Bayswater station. Just as I am thorough with the Mumbai trains routes here too I have got very comfortable with my daily tube travel and more or less familiar with all the zones and lines on the tube. Tubes or buses or walking is the best way to travel in London. And last but not the least I have been pub and club hopping here and drinking loads of different kinds of beer.

A visit to the British Library: 

A library is a wonderful place, where you can lose yourself in a breathtaking world of science, travel, fiction and more. And I had the opportunity to visit one of the best and biggest libraries of the world-The British Library at St Pancras-Kings Cross in London. Interesting trivia about the St Pancras station in London is that the CST station or the erstwhile Victoria Terminus of Mumbai is an exact replica of the St Pancras Station.

Coming back to the British Library, the library is also the national library of the UK. The library was originally a department of the British Museum and from the mid-19th century occupied the famous circular British Museum Reading Room. It became legally separate in 1973, and by 1997 had moved into its new purpose-built building at St Pancras, London.

Once you are inside you can explore its 14 million books, 9,20,000 journal and newspaper titles, 58 million patents, three million sound recordings, and much more in hundreds of subject areas. It gets a copy of every publication produced in the U.K. and Ireland. Its collection includes over 150 million items, in most known languages, with three million new items added every year, Its sound archive has recordings from 19th-century cylinders, to CD, DVD and MD recordings. It has eight million stamps and other philatelic items. All this is kept on 625 km of shelves! It says that if a visitor reads five items each day, it would take him over 80,000 years to see its entire collection. It also operates the world's largest document delivery service. Its treasures include the Magna Carta, Leonardo da Vinci's notebook and first edition of The Times, from March 18, 1788. In addition it has material over 3,000 years old that include Chinese oracle bones.

Our visit to the British Library was to get an insight into their South Asia Collections which include Asia language printed material, western language printed material, Oriental manuscripts, prints, drawings and photographs. Apart from that we saw the British Raj come to life through the India Office records - a priceless collection of official documentation and private papers related to pre-1947 India. India Office, a department in the British government in London, became the administrator of India in 1858, functionally replacing the East India Company. The collection comprises of 70,000 volumes of official publications and over 1 lakh manuscripts and maps.

We also see a few of the documents, fragile yet legible and beautifully preserved. We are told that great care is taken in keeping these manuscripts the way they are. They are kept in a cool place something like an air conditioned cupboards where it does not get withered. There was a poster for referendum in the North West Frontier Province. A map showing the new boundaries of a partitioned Punjab, a poster from the 1930s calling upon Muslims to join the Congress's freedom struggle, documents recording the earliest calls for redrawing India's boundaries on a 'cultural' basis (outlined by Syed Abdul Latif in 'a federation of cultural zones for India'). We also saw the 'personal report' from Lord Mountbatten to the King and Prime Minister dated 12 June 1947. In this personal report he relates his meeting with Jinnah and Nehru and details grudging acceptance of both to his 3rd June plan of partition. This South Asia collection is certainly priceless for historians, students, film makers, writers

While at the British Library, I also get a fascinating peek into the lives of the earliest Indians in England. Beyond the Frame: India in Britain, 1858-1950 is the outcome of research by Susheila Nasta and her team at the Open University. While, Ranjitsinhji is well known in India and in Britain so are as are Maharaja Duleep Singh, Abdul Karim (who was Queen Victoria’s Indian secretary), Noor Inayat Khan, the wireless operator who was recruited by the Special Operations Executive in 1942 and infiltrated into occupied France and writer Mulk Raj Anand. Infact, it was Anand’s cook book that popularized curry recipes for the British housewives. Today, curries have become Britain’s national dish and Indian restaurants can be found in almost every town.

The exhibition also showcased art and culture. Ram Gopal, the dancer, brought his company to London's Aldwych Theatre in 1939. Chuni Lal Katial was a doctor and politician who moved to London in 1927. In slightly over 10 years, he had become England's first South Asian mayor (Finsbury, 1938). Nasik-born Parsi Christian Cornelia Sorabji was the first woman to study law in Oxford (1889-94) and went on to train at a solicitor's firm in London. They are just a few Indians of diverse backgrounds who as early migrants, much before the post WW2 era, enriched Britain's culture, politics, arts, sports, and society.

National Archives of India and ministry of UK have launched the exhibition to celebrate the cultural impact of Indians on Britain. To give this exhibition a wider audience, the British Library has also launched a website and multimedia timeline to bring the history of the Indian presence in Britain. The good news is that this exhibition is currently, on a tour in South India will be on in India till June I was told. The British Library has also launched website for the exhibition. If you are keen you could get more details at the British Council in your city .

Frontline Club 

I started my career in journalism 15 years ago and the one thing I was told within a year of my profession is that I must get a membership to the press Club of Mumbai. And aptly I did so within 2 years.  The Mumbai Press Club is a place where you hobnob with other journalists and have cheap drinks but, my visit to the Frontline Club of London also started by journalists was an eye opener.

The club that opened in 2003 is the London hub for a diverse group of people united by their passion for the best quality journalism. It was founded by surviving members of Frontline News TV, a cooperative of freelance cameramen formed during the chaos of the Romanian revolution in 1989. It specialized in war reporting for television. Vaughan Smith, one of two surviving founders of Frontline News TV, turned the operation into a club, offering a meeting place for those who believe in independent journalism, as well as to honor dead colleagues. It also aims to lobby for better support for the freelance journalistic community. I visited the Frontline Club to attend a roundtable discussion on ‘New Media and Social activism in China’. After the discussion we were treated to some good wine and snacks followed by Dinner. As we walk along the club room it has an interesting display of relics drawn from the history of war reporting since the Crimean war, including the boots of The Times correspondent William Howard Russell. The other cabinets show personal items, some with shell still embedded, that have stopped a bullet and saved a journalist's life. The walls of the Frontline Club display examples of war photography and artwork.
press accreditation, but he disguised as a British Officer and filmed the conflict for two months.
In his much acclaimed documentary Blood and Dust, Smith has captured strong pictures of the suffering of war, the life and death in southern Afganistan. He spent ten days with an American medevac helicopter unit that lifted off US marines and Afgan civilians off the battlefield.Smith has won around  thirty awards and believes television news broadcasters do not give due credits to camerapersons for their sacrifice and hardship. Twice he had a close brush with death in the battlefield. A bullet hit his mobile phone while covering the Serbian action in 1998. A champion of independent journalism, last year he gave refuge to Julian Assange, the founder of
WikiLeaks both at the Frontline Club and at his home at Norwich, outside London when he fought court cases. Assange had been staying at the club for two months. The Frontline Club is home to over 200 talks and screenings a year. With over 40 bloggers covering 30 places and numerous issues, their blogging network is a place for all those wanting a closer look at the issues that they cover.

About Vaughan Smith:

A war correspondent who also doubled up as an independent cameraperson, Vaughan Smith was in the thick of action during wars in Iraq, Bosnia, Chechnya, Kosova and Afganisthan. Smith’s is the only uncontrolled footage of the 1991 Gulf War. He was denied

Travelogue: Greenwich

What can I say about London that you don’t already know? Besides being the most visited tourist city in the world with its disrepute monarchy, London indeed has a lot to offer. First of all, its cultural diversity needs to be applauded. Asian restaurants, African shops, Belgian chocolatiers, Parisian fashion are all testimony of its cultural richness that is so starkly visible at every turn.
What’s amazing is the seamless merge of history and modernism on every street. It’s beautiful. When in London one definitely pays homage to the cliché tourist sites like Big Ben, Buckingham Place, Madam Tussard’s, the London Bridge, the Tower of London, Shakespear’s Globe Theatre to name a few important sites. Window-shopping on Oxford and Reagent Street etc is mandatory. But, a cruise down the Thames puts its beauty in perspective. Riding all day on its world famous ‘underground’ subway system is a way to observe interesting characters and places. London is a home away from home for a lot of people. Currently it’s for me too.
But what I realize is that while everybody goes to London, Greenwich is clearly a place that lives off the tourist trade. It was just our second day in London and I was glad our very first trip was to Greenwich. We are 14 South Asian journalists from India and Pakistan who are here for two months on a scholarship at the University of Westminster.
April 1, 2012, a cold and pleasant Sunday morning was the day when we got together along with our co-coordinator and guide Dr Daisy Hasan to go on the river cruise to Greenwich. What better way to get to know each other.
We get to Westminister Pier from Bayswater tube station at Hyde Park and on to the boat for the tour of Greenwich. Down the river, we are treated to humorous narration, but it was actually informative if one listened to the narration carefully.
As I listen, I find out that he is not a professional guide but one of the boat crew and they write their own patter, complete with jokes about ex-wives and the Traitor's Gate. For forty-five minutes, we motored between the banks of the Thames, passing interesting sights such as the new Globe Theatre, the London Eye and the Canary Wharf.
Finally, we arrived at what appeared to be a very quaint village. Nautical at every turn, I felt Greenwich is one of the many places overlooked by the steady onslaught of tourists that flock England every second. I think a trip to Greenwich should be mandatory if you are really interested in history, art and geography. The Greenwich Meridian (or to the layman ‘Prime’ Meridian) runs through here. The world-known university that cranks out the best of geographers lives here. The Maritime Museum, The Trinity College of Music, the Queen’s house and the Royal Naval College are just a few of its assets.
Along the bank of Thames as you enter the Greenwich Pier, there you see this magnificient and gigantic ‘Cutty Sark’- the beautiful tea clipper which bears testimony to its past. Compasses and anchors at every turn. The mere tourist may not find this intriguing and one wonders if only geographers are interested in coming to this place, but believe me it is interesting and you definitely do not have to be a geographer and know about longitudes and latitudes to visit Greenwich.
Unfortunately we could not get on the ‘Cutty Sark’ as it was being restored. This magnificient ship has been in the dry dock since 1954. A complete renovation is estimated to cost £25 million. The Cutty Sark Trust has secured a grant of £12.95 million (consisting of a £1.2 million development grant and £11.75 million Stage 1 pass) from the Heritage Lottery Fund.The fully refurbished ‘Cutty Sark’ will open to the public on April 26.

The Cutty Sark was launched in 1869 for the tea trade -- and those ships had to be fast, because in those days before refrigeration and cheap hermetic sealing tea did not travel well. The precious leaves became weary, stale, flat, and unprofitable after too long in hold. The fastest and most beautiful sailing ships ever made were built so Londoners could have a fresh cuppa in the morning.
Our next halt was at the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Naval College. But, couple of us just decided we wanted to sit around in the garden outside the Naval college and immerse ourselves in the surrounding beauty.
Across Romney Road with its public entrance on King William Walk, the Royal Naval College permits the public access to only two areas namely the Painted Hall, the 400-seat dining room and site of Britain's formal state dinners, and the Chapel, considered one of England's best acoustic halls where many chamber music works are recorded.
The Baroque-styled Painted Hall, which is part of King William Court, was designed by Christopher Wren, the architect of St. Paul's Cathedral, and painted by James Thornhill. As we entered this magnificient Painted hall, which is now in use as a dining hall and is one of the spectacular function venues in the country was being dolled up. A grand dinner to celebrate the 100 years of Battle of Trafalgar had been organized in 2005. We also got to know some of the royals would be present as well for this dinner. A look at the paintings it appears to open the ceilings to heaven. One is so mesmerized by those paintings and you wonder how on earth did Thornhill manage to paint the ceiling?
Then you have the famous ‘Trinity College of Music’, the world-renowned music college which is now part of the Old Royal Naval College. It is housed in the elegant riverside buildings of the former. llaya Raja, one of the leading music directors from our South Indian film industry and A R Rahman have studied at this famous Trinity College of Music.
We then walk along the Queen’s House towards the Royal Observatory which is quite a long walk from the Old Royal Naval College.
While we did not roam inside the house, there are some interesting details of the house. Like for instance Inigo Jones designed it in 1616, introducing Palladian architecture to England. It is admired for its Great Hall and Tulip Staircase. The house, which was presented by Charles I to his French wife Henrietta Maria in 1635 is now part of the National Maritime Museum. The Queen's House also features a conservation studio and an artist-in-residence.
The group decided to now trek up to the Royal Observatory although one could take a shuttle bus (£1.50 each) up to the top of the hill to the observatory. We walked along the Greenwich Park crossed it then trekked up the small hill where the Royal Observatory was situated. The seven pounds that is charged to get into the Observatory was quiet a dampner and most decided against going inside and instead took pictures from outside. But if one did go inside one could get to see the Royal Observatory and it's zero degree longitude marker.
The observatory stands as a monument to navigational research. It is the original home of Greenwich Mean Time and is famous being the source of the Prime Meridian line that divides the East from the West (longitude 0° 0' 0'').
In the courtyard of the Observatory, and just outside, are brass strips set in the ground and walls marking the exact site of the line of the meridian. It is therefore possible to stand astride the line, with a foot in each hemisphere; a favourite tourist occupation.
Oops after all that excitement I looked at the watch and it was 1.30 pm and it was time for lunch and oh boy we had to climbed down that hill and find a place to eat. We find our way straight to the Greenwich market and believe me the highlight of the day’s trip to Greenwich was the visit to the market. With its colourful multi-cultural atmosphere, the market is known for some variety of good food and beer.
We decided to get back to the banks to get the cruise at 4.30. As we descended the cruise in the morning we were told that the last cruise from Greenwich was at 5.30 pm. Back on board the cruise we were once again subjected to the guides talk. Thankfully having walked so much at Greenwich we were extremely tired and I caught a short nap for 30 minutes till we were back at Westminster Pier and back to the London City.