We are in the Civil Lines, the centre of what used to be the European part of the city. It is the rush hour, about nine thirty in the morning. There goes a Gandhi-like figure, with bald head and dhoti –he won’t require the services of this pavement barber.
The best time to see the Civil Lines is early in the morning, when it is cool and quiet. After the Mutiny of 1857 the authorities felt that Calcutta was too far away from the centre of India to function as the capital, and they therefore planned to make Allahabad the new capital. Later they changed their minds, but in the meantime the Civil Lines had been laid out, with a number of broad straight avenues.
Here, flanked by cowsheds, is a boys’ school. The boys are chanting JAI HAI, JAI HAI –Victory (as they do on parade every morning). Even the poorest Indian families seem to appreciate that education is essential for advancement, and this bodes well for the future development of the country.