London Diary: Will Cameron's formula work?

So now the big question is whether on June 23 the UK will vote to quit the European Union or not? Nothing is certain anymore, because British Prime Minister David Cameron has opted to stay within the EU, but with fresh terms and conditions, particularly regarding the benefits that new entrants from the EU right now receive automatically. He has suggested an “emergency brake” for benefits given to immigrants and that these benefits might be given according to the cost of living in the country of their origin.

However, not all his ministers are pleased with his formula, and some of them — including our very own Priti Patel, the diaspora champion — have joined the “leave” campaign. The other high profile minister of Asian origin, business secretary Sajid Javid, has preferred to stick with Mr Cameron.

This is now becoming a highly contentious issue, with political parties declaring their stance in advance. The Labour Party wants to stay with EU even though its leader Jeremy Corbyn had, once upon a time, long ago, declared that the UK should quit. He has since then changed his mind.

With the leaders of the two main parties advocating that UK (despite pressure from certain lobbies who predict that the UK will be overwhelmed by EU immigrants) should remain within the Union, the referendum might have already been won by the “stay” campaign. And the last poll showed that a majority agrees with the Prime Minister. But one never knows as pollsters have been spectacularly wrong in the recent past!

Most of us do not discuss mental health issues and, certainly, we rarely recognise that mental illness can afflict the very young. With families breaking up, and children spending more and more time in solitude with only computers for company, we do need to take cognisance of a burgeoning problem.

Quite bravely then, in her first online blog, Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, has decided to take up an issue which can be considered slightly controversial. She said she would “not hesitate” to seek help for her children if they were to suffer from mental health issues.

She wrote: “Like most parents today, William and I would not hesitate to seek help for our children if they needed it... We know there is no shame in a young child struggling with their emotions or suffering from a mental illness.” “Shortly after I got married, I started working with charities helping those affected by issues such as addiction, family breakdown and vulnerable children,” she added.

“It became clear to me that many children — even those younger than five — have to deal with complex problems without the emotional resilience, language or confidence to ask for help.” Undoubtedly, this advocacy will encourage parents to interact more with their children, to coax them speak about their feelings, as she says she does. But critics wonder if this will also compel over-anxious parents to push kids into therapy for “normal” problems?

Besides, as both her children are still very young, and Princess Charlotte is barely a year old, these are brave words. Living as she does in a goldfish bowl, it is difficult to predict how a highly intrusive media would react to either of the children going into therapy — if they ever needed it. Could she actually talk about it then?
Nonetheless, it is important for the Duchess to create awareness, and that is what is what she is doing. It’s about time we saw similar advocacy about these taboo issues, in India as well.

But in India, there is already a severe shortage of trained therapists —- even for adults. Which is why so many of us end up going to astrologers and proponents of dubious spirituality — all informal “therapists” who give us mantras and precious stones to ward off worries! And most Asians have an inbuilt resistance towards children going in for therapy, anyway, since we consider that these issues belong to a “decadent” West! Do we need to rethink ?

Most of us would not know who Martha Brown was. But now there is palpable excitement among the literati, especially Thomas Hardy fans because a skull and some bones have been discovered near Dorchester prison, which could be hers. Executed in 1856, for killing her violent husband, she has been long considered the inspiration for the classic Tess of d’Urbervilles.

Having watched the grisly hanging as a youth, among 4000 spectators, Hardy wrote, much later: “I remember what a fine figure she showed against the sky as she hung in the misty rain, and how the tight black silk gown set off her shape as she wheeled half-round and back.”

It was an experience that haunted him, and was later immortalised in his book.
Though as yet there is no confirmation that these bones could belong to the hapless Martha Brown, they were discovered during the fresh building works which have been started in the area.

Given the apparent ease with which identities can be unearthed through a combination of DNA and forensics (remember the unearthing of the remains of King Richard III in a Leicester car park? And his subsequent elaborate reburial?) there is huge interest in whether this is really Martha! And this fixation with getting down to the bare bones of literature and history can only be maddeningly British!