When Cameron had one pint too many

This week we realised how forgetful the trials of being a Prime Minister can make you. A book revealed that David Cameron recently forgot his young daughter at a pub, where he had gone for a drink and to “chillax” with some friends.

But the question is whether this was the weighty effect of the affairs of the state or was it simply one pint too many? It seems he and his wife drove off home after a merry afternoon only to find that little Nancy was missing, and then Samantha Cameron rushed back to the pub to pick her up. Since Mr Cameron has three children, it’s quite easy to forget one or two and so there was quite an outpouring of sympathy for the poor father.
Of course, Mr Cameron also has security personnel with him and perhaps one of them could have taken a headcount. But then, as the British are aware, in the atmosphere of a pub, it might be tough to remember a tiny detail like an eight-year-old kid. As reporters descended onto the Plough at Cadsden, the country pub earned its share of fame and everything was thoroughly investigated, including the toilet where Nancy had wandered off while her parents were getting into their respective cars with other friends and children. Perhaps, there will be a blue plaque at the pub soon to commemorate the watering hole where Nancy got lost. The explanation given by the Camerons was that each parent had thought Nancy was in the other car. It wasn’t till they got home (which is just 15 minutes away) that they realised that Nancy had simply been left behind. Young Nancy, however, was not much worried, as apparently coming to the pub for a few glasses of wine is something of a weekly ritual for Mr Cameron. Nancy knew the premises and the staff quite well, and she chatted calmly with them till her flustered mother picked her up. In a week when Mr Cameron had to recollect all the nitty-gritty of his relationship (if any) with Rupert Murdoch’s empire, the brouhaha over forgetting his daughter must have been a pleasant diversion. Besides, he might have tapped into an as yet unknown vote bank of parents who have accidentally forgotten children in all kinds of places as many newspaper columnists and readers sheepishly confessed that they had also made similar blunders.
Soon a list of names came tumbling out of famous people who (even if they were not forgotten in a pub) grew up in one. The manager of the Arsenal football team, Arsene Wenger reportedly said, “There is no better psychological education than growing up in a pub.” Perhaps, being left behind in one might also lead to an education of sorts as well… Unless it was a botched attempt by the young Nancy to get rid of her parents.

Meanwhile, it was great to meet filmmaker Shyam Benegal in London this week as he gave the Dadasaheb Phalke Memorial Lecture at the Nehru Centre. It was a thoughtful presentation tracing the growth of contemporary Indian cinema. It was also a relief to note that though there were some cinematic hiccups in the 80s and 90s, Benegal is quite optimistic now about the future. He feels that with new directors, like Anurag Kashyap and Dibakar Banerjee, (of whom I am also a huge fan, I must confess) the image of Indian cinema abroad is changing. Even though distribution of the new wave of films might still be a problem, it is probably a temporary glitch as fresh marketing techniques and companies take over the exhibition rights.
Benegal also came to the House of Lords to launch the book, Jaal, written by the new director of the Nehru Centre, Sangeeta Bahadur, which is the first part of a trilogy. It is amazing how many members of the Indian Foreign Service are turning out to be accomplished novelists — Pavan Varma, Navtej Sarna, Vikas Swaroop and now Sangeeta Bahadur as she spins a marvellous fantasy about the adventures of Arihant. May their tribe increase.

This is also the season when despite the terrible rains recently everyone heads for London. So we have been catching up with all our friends from India and elsewhere. The city was recently declared to be the most popular in the world for tourists and the celebratory buntings are going to be out for quite a while. Following the recent success of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee everyone is gearing up for the start of the Olympics next month. Thus far everything has gone smoothly.
Though my compatriots might find a few things quite shocking. While the budget for the games has been an astronomical eight billion pounds, some money has been saved and the government is planning to recoup a reported 400 million pounds from the overall kitty. Perhaps the British need some Indian expertise, and they should immediately call Suresh Kalmadi to give an inflated bill for toilet paper or some such much-needed Olympic equipment to ensure that no money is left unutilised.