Desi Aristocrats
Jun 21, 2001
When the Brits ran their country
The desi aristocrats played
Cricket, sipped gin and tonic
At the gymkhana–and when sick
Or languid, drank Horlicks.
When the Yankees took over,
They slipped into Levi’s
And Adidas, and swigged
Carlsberg, Coke and Pepsi. Now
They dine at Pizza Hut
And shake to Salt N Peppa.
The author is a Professor of Economics at Northeastern University, Boston, USA. Shahid Alam’s recent book, Poverty from the Wealth of Nations was published by Macmillan (2000).
