INDIA: Retired Servicemen Gather For Gossip in Talk Shop

HOSHIARPUR, Punjab (The Hindustan Times), December 17, 2007: The irritation of the bumpy road in this Punjab town's Birbal Colony gives way to some amusement as a bright yellow board greets you outside a house that reads: "Gossip Place For Retired Persons - Men Only. You Are Welcome." A peek inside the room reveals the ingenuity of an ex-serviceman to keep him - and other retired men - busy in life. The unique idea of having a gossip centre "exclusively for men" is the brainchild of former army man Ravinder Kumar Sud, who thought that unlike women who get together often to chat and gossip about everything, men do not really indulge in the practice. Though gossiping between Sud and some of his friends was on for nearly a decade, the gossip centre, perhaps the only one of its kind, formally came into being in August. Members range from retired government servants, ex-servicemen to those whose children have become non-resident Indians (NRIs). "I suddenly realised that we could give ourselves a licence to gossip, and put up a board inviting others as well to join the fun," Sud said. From just a trickle of a few friends, membership is growing with more likeminded men learning about it. The room itself can accommodate 10 to 12 people. The issues discussed range from the media hype around Monica Bedi, who incidently belongs to Chabewal village about 10 km from here, to the uncertainty over the Manmohan Singh government, to the selection of the Indian cricket team. Issues at stake can be international, national, and of course the local ones. "Here no membership is required, except that one should be a retired person, like-minded and full of humour," Sud said. Source: IANS Copyright: HT Media Ltd.