A spectacle of living
Manchester Presents
would be a fitting title for a programme that highlights the intriguing
peculiarities of this city, demonstrated through its residents and their way of
life and pursuits.
I generally consider
myself more of an observer than a participant. Usually, I find out about events
in my city long after they happen. If I happen to learn about something before
it occurs, I might make a mental note, but due to disinterest or lethargy, it
often slips my mind.
However, whenever I
step out for something as mundane as shopping for essentials, these encounters
make me wonder if there’s more to the beating heart of Manchester—something I
have yet to fully grasp after nearly 12 years of living here.
But a polemicist
For example, I was on
a bus returning from the shops when a lady of South Asian origin boarded.
Stylish and quite sophisticated, her makeup stood out—her eyes accentuated with
black markings resembling the upper rim of large, rectangular spectacles.
That alone would have
been an interesting story. Then she started to speak—at first I thought she was
on a phone call until I realised she was addressing us, the passengers on the
lower deck. She wasn’t a preacher, a few of whom I’ve seen, but not in
Manchester.
When I understood
what she was saying—her somewhat coherent remarks—it was polemical, with
references to government involvement in fraud, with the citing of sections and
paragraphs too. If I had been paying closer attention earlier, I might have
laughed at the absurdity of it all.
Achievement without
recognition
If I heard her
correctly, she was either a professor of Punjabi literature or a close relative
of one, and her father was a renowned professor named Kohli. She even spelt
it out. Then she launched into a tirade about prejudice, racism, and not being
recognised because she had brown skin.
Despite her accent,
she exhibited every sign of a good education, with flawless grammar and a
conviction in her delivery that persisted until she disembarked. It seemed she
was making a case—perhaps a grievance or an injustice still bothering her.
Upon reflection, I
suspected she might have been a victim of a miscarriage of justice influenced
by prejudice, racism, workplace harassment, maybe denied promotion—situations
often encountered in academia—and this appeared to have affected her mental health,
reflected in her behaviour on the bus.
May she find peace
At the very least,
she probably needs therapy. I was quite concerned about her, and I’m somewhat
relieved that no one tried to silence her. As disturbing as it was, we simply
let her vent her spleen, though there was more to it than met the eye. I sincerely
hope she receives the help she needs.
For a lady who, by
her bearing, could be of a certain age above the golden jubilee, there’s little
to distinguish eccentricity from being sectioned. On that spectrum, she seems
closer to the latter. I truly hope she finds peace.
Meanwhile, no face
masks seen, but some of us are still taking Coronavirus booster jabs.