Lear's kingdom
Sir: It is a matter of total indifference to me, and I think to most of my compatriots, whether the skin of an embittered and ignorant bigot is black, pink or coffee- coloured, or whether his name is lain McTavish, Kevin O'Rourke, John Smith or Partha Suvra Goswami (Letters, 16 August). I just do not like embittered and ignorant bigots.
So Partha Suvra Goswami has enormous scores to settle, has he, for the British occu- pation of India. With whom? With me? With my children? With my next-door neighbour because he, like me, is ,pink? This of course is as near as Partha Suvra Goswami can get to having his revenge, for all those responsible for the invasion of India are dead and gone and out of his reach.
He might equally well take himself off to his own country and visit. his wrath on his own countrymen; for did not some of
their ancestors quisle with the pink con- querors, and get fat on the proceeds? You bet they did.
But no. Partha Suvra Goswami writes from an Edinburgh address. Maybe he is earning his keep, maybe he is here simply to have himself educated at someone else's expense, who can say? The odds are that his belly is somewhat tighter here than it would be if he went back home, and I am glad of it. I don't like the thought of empty bellies. Nor do I like the thought of guests abusing the hospitality of their hosts, and on a number of occasions when I have encountered a guest doing so I have deliberately got down to his level and told him to keep a civil tongue in his head. I do so again.
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