Welcome to No: 10 UPPING STREET.

John and Angela hailed their cab from outside their hotel in Central Delhi.

“7 Lok Nayak Marg, please” said John, in his clipped London accent.

Dharamveer Singh, in his blue bush-shirt and thick glasses, swung around, looked at the two occupants in the backseat, and guffawed “ Whaat Sir? I don’t know where you want to go”

Now Angela got a little upset. Not so much with Garam Dharam, but with John.

“ Johnny, what is this man saying? We have an appointment with the Prime Minister of India…… and he doesn’t know where to take us…..we will be awwwwfully late!......do you have google maps .......driver?”

Suddenly Dharamveer Singh, swung around again, and said , “ Ohhhh Maidummm, you mean 7 Race Course Road? …….. Where the Indian prime Minister lives?”

Now , now , how can we go and meet the Indian PM at a place that has a name which is totally against Indian culture?

Race Course?

Ohhhhh….. Tauba…. Tauba,…..Gambling? And all that?  Such sin attached to such a place that actually houses the most powerful man in India?

No way, banish this bloody stupid name from the past. It doesn’t match with Indian ethos and value systems, and quickly bring in “Lok Nayak Marg” said the minds that matter. 

Of course Indians never gambled, laid bets on horses, camels , bull fights and kabaddi…….no way, we are the saints of this world, and it was the “devils” that came along and corrupted us, and to beat it all, they also left their signatures around with blasphemous names like Race Course Road…… Down with it….DOWN….!

DOWN?

Now isn’t DOWN such a negative word? The opposite of UP?

“ John, we must get back to London, and speak with the Queen…… the Indian’s have opened our eyes….”

John, surprised, bemused, perplexed, looked at Angela, and said “.....and what do we tell the Queen, maah deaah?”

“ We the British people must also change the name of the Prime Minister’s residence…… No more DOWNING STREET………. Let’s rename it , it is in fashion all over India”

“ …..and welcome everyone to No: 10, UPPING STREET?” said John.

 Navroze D Dhondy, Founder & Managing Director- Creatigies Communications , loves snapping on anything and everything, from sports, to politics, to business, to travel, to poetry, to photography.