Transcripts For KQED BBC World News America 20240621

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about what you said this morning, about the ina -- most of those fellows who've gone over to the japs could be wangling their way out of prison camp to get back to us. that's what i can't help thinking. merrick: precisely. uh... precisely what? merrick: that's what you can't help thinking. as an officer in the muzzafirabad guides. your father's regiment i expect, too. i'm afraid i think all that's a myth -- devotion to the raj, loyalty of the humble indian. my experiences as a police officer have blighted my enthusiasm for ideas like that. but then, my origins and yours were probably quite different. i was a grammar-school boy. oh, really? i was an awful duffer at school, if it comes to that. [chuckles] i -- you don't think it's true, then, what i said, that these men aren't really traitors? [bugle playing] no, i think it's true that many of them will persuade themselves they have fine motives for doing what they want. but isn't that what we all do? all right. but i still think there are a few things one just doesn't do. i don't blame the other ranks so much, but when it comes to king's commissioned officers whatever color -- that's beyond the pale. teddy: yes. man: you know, i'm actually rather hungry. man: come on, harold! see you in there, teddy. does a bicycle have any special significance to you, old man? bicycle? what do you mean "special significance"? well, as a sort of symbol of the ina. not that i'm aware of. why? oh, i found one -- on the veranda at tiffin. it wasn't there when i got back this evening. a lady's bike. it was broken. just that? um, a broken bicycle? well, there were these marks too, like some kind of puja in front of the door. i'm afraid i scuffed them out. what a pity. uh, do you remember the marks in any detail? i'm afraid not. [ominous music plays] i say, do you think i was right? about what? the ina. possibly. have you...told anyone? well, i asked hosain. he didn't know what i was talking about. i expect the little beggar thought i was accusing him of something. have you mentioned the bicycle and the marks to, uh, anyone else? teddy: no. then, uh, i shouldn't. between ourselves. yes. now, let me get you another of those before we eat. bearer? double barapeg soda. to kill the bugs. hmm. so...when's the wedding? december. or earlier. merrick: earlier, surely! or once jungle training starts you won't get the chance. if you've decided to get married i'd do it right away here in mirat. there's a hill station called nanoora that's quite close if you've only two or three days. two or three days? it's quite possible. good lord. we hadn't seen it a bit like that. i -- i mean -- how had you seen it? well, a proper wedding in pankot -- that's where we met, her father's station. cheers. her father? colonel layton. pankot rifles. he's a prisoner of war in germany, by the way. i see. teddy: so it'll have to be a pukka wedding. pankot expects that sort of thing. [chuckles] what about after christmas? i shouldn't count on it. you seem well informed. hmm. well advised. oh, but two or three days! here, in mirat? and what about the guests? her family? well, there might be a way to handle that if you don't mind a suggestion. i should say not! if there's anyone round here who knows the score, it seems to be you. [chuckles] are you married, merrick? uh, no. i'm, uh...not. teddy: what's the scheme? merrick: i'll tell you over dinner. actually, it's all turned out to be quite simple. rather exciting, in fact. "can't remember if i told you, but mirat is a princely indian state." oh, this is the bit. "it seems the old nawab has a guest house in the palace grounds that is made available to us for special visitors. there's tons of room for all of you, apparently including aunt fenny and uncle arthur. i've checked with the sso, and it's free for the october dates we want. sorry it's such an awful rush, but it could be fun. there's a nice old church in the cantonment, and afterwards we can shoot up to the nanoora hills in just a few hours." well? 72 hours is all they've given us. what do you think? doesn't appear you have much choice. full marks to him for information and method, anyhow. sarah: doesn't sound like teddy. susan: what? to be so organized. there's more to teddy than you think. yes, of course. there must be. mummy? really, it's what you think, susan. you're the one who has to decide. well, i think it will be fun! of course, people in pankot will be disappointed. furious. but it's my wedding, so we'll just have to tell them. they know there's a war. yes. and daddy can't be there in any case, so it won't be the same. mildred: at least there's one good thing. susan: what's that? mildred: we'll have to go home early. so we'll send mohammed round to her houseboat and he can drop in a card. susan: i'll have to think. there's such a lot to do. "apologies. no time to call." that's that. [sighs] sarah: good afternoon. lady manners, may i come onboard? why, yes, of course. suleman, help the memsahib. i'm sarah layton from the next houseboat. you sent us your card. ah. yes. so i was bringing you ours but as i saw you -- my mother and sister have gone to the bazaar, so i thought i'd call. miss layton, i've seen your family on several occasions. sarah: yes. quite honestly, we didn't know what to do -- what we should say -- about the awful business of your niece, i mean. that's why we haven't called. but now you have. we're going home in a few days so it was the last chance. i wondered if you wouldn't mind -- if i could see the baby. i've often heard her. you want to see parvati? sarah: is that her name? yes, if i may. i shall be delighted. will you follow me? of course, she may be asleep. layton memsahib to see parvati. may i? [cooing] she's so tiny. thank you. miss layton, will you take tea? please. i should love to. i think of daphne often. her mother looked healthy enough, but she died young. and dr. krishnamurthy warned daphne. it was dangerous for her? the labor, yes. she never saw the child. pankot. henry and i were there quite often during the time he was governor of the province. we never met your parents, though. your father commands the 1st pankot rifles? yes. mm. sad he can't be at your sister's wedding. now, she is -- susan. and you are sarah. i have it now. and two years ago younger than you are. well, you will like mirat. i suppose lending the guesthouse is part of the nawab's war effort. he must be getting on a bit. and so must his wazir -- an extraordinary russian émigré count. bronowsky, i think. you must look out for him. the english used to hate him until they realized what a good influence he was. shall you be sorry to go back early to your station? yes, in some ways. lady manners, i wonder if you could give us some advice. we've been talking about a present -- something to give the nawab for letting us have the guesthouse. as you knew him quite well perhaps you could suggest what he might like? a present. sarah: we just couldn't think. well, you know, the nawab is distantly related to ex-chief minister kasim. charming man. unfortunately, we've put him in prison. and both of them are related to the 18th-century urdu poet, gaffur. i think the most flattering gift might be a specially bound copy of gaffur's poems. that's a wonderful idea! you can get one in srinagar and easily have it bound here, though that might take a few days. there's certainly a shop in ranpur in the bazaar where they do excellent leather work and gold-leaf blocking. you could arrange for it on your way through. is that a good idea? yes! i'm sorry, i was just thinking -- what? what a lot you know. [chuckles] well, it's one of the advantages of old age. one becomes a repository for casual bits and pieces of information. some of them are useful. i didn't mean that. i'm sorry -- what i meant was, "know," not "remember." i can't quite explain. please forgive me. i've taken up too much of your time. but i have time. in some ways. will you come again? yes, if i can. i understand. suleman: [indistinct] hello! auntie mabel! hello! mabel: ah. we're back again. mother and susan are busy at home. they asked me to give you their love. mabel: did you enjoy the holiday? we had to come back early. susan's getting married in mirat. the plans are all changed. i know, barbie told me. [grunts] she heard it at the club library. she brings me all the news you see? mother would have written. there wasn't time. how beautiful the garden looks. does it? you do such a lot. yes, but it often strikes me as something the gods once loved and then forgot. it should have died young. i'm not here forever. and i'm not sure that i love it enough. have you seen barbie? i think she's in the house. i know she'll want to see you. i'll go up and say hello. mabel: aziz will bring you anything you want. of course, i've been dying to have a chat about the wedding. it's so exciting. thank you, aziz. a wedding in mirat! i've never been there, but i've seen photographs. palaces, mosques and minarets. and susan in her veil will be standing by a fountain. have you noticed how still she's become since the engagement was announced? or have i imagined it? you don't take sugar do you? no, thank you, barbie. and how will you manage on the journey? well, tony bishop is to be best man. oh, yes, they'd arranged that. he's applied for leave to general rankin, so he'll be able to travel with us. oh, so you'll have a man on the journey. and will the nawab be at the wedding? oh, i'm sure he'll be invited. perhaps he won't come. it might be rather fraught if that's the word i want. how do you mean? well, we locked up a relative of his -- mohammad ali kasim the muslim congressman. put him in clink! but then india's full of oddities like that. have you talked to mabel about the wedding? no, not really. is she very disappointed now she can't come? oh, i'm sure she'd have liked to be there, but mirat's so far, too far. she gets tired easily, and she does too much. you'd have liked to come too wouldn't you, barbie? me? oh, i shouldn't have been there, in any case. your mother wouldn't want me -- why do you say that? we won't -- we mustn't talk about it. why? why mustn't we? not about me. it's nothing to do with me. it's to do with...mabel and your mother. but, you see i am the cause. of what? of ill feeling. oh -- oh, i'm not such a fool. i can see. i know what people say. you should be living here. rose cottage belonged to your grandfather. and if mabel had still been living here alone when war began you would have come here. but she didn't want to be here alone. she wanted someone to share rose cottage with. that's how you came. but still, you see i am the cause. there's nothing i can do. everyone in pankot says that rose cottage is too big for us and the bungalow too small for all of you. auntie mabel would never leave rose cottage. everyone knows that. do you think your mother does? after all, she isn't your aunt. she's your grandfather's second wife. well, we've always called her "auntie mabel." it's what she wanted since we were children. she's your mother's stepmother-in-law. oh, mothers-in-law are bad enough. there was a song my father used to sing when he was merry -- we were going to talk about the wedding, and look, i'm going on about my father. and i've got to go. thanks for the coffee, barbie. oh, you've hung the picture! barbie: yes, aziz did it for me. he likes to look at it. and it reminds me of edwina. this is the jewel. here is the crown. how many of those children did i bring to god? that's what i wonder. and has he any purpose? she burnt herself. soaked the walls with paraffin. of the garden shed. when she came out of hospital, a fearful thing. she never answered my letters. the original version of "the jewel in the crown," including alistair cooke host segments, is available on dvd. to order, visit shoppbs.org or call 1-800-play-pbs. "the jewel in the crown" was made possible in part by contributions to your pbs station from viewers like you. captioning sponsored by newshour productions, llc >> woodruff: hundreds missing after a cruise ship capsizes on the yangtze river in china. the race against time to rescue survivors. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. and i'm gwen ifill. also ahead this tuesday: he's out. the embattled president of fifa resigns, days after his re-election failed to lift a cloud of controversy. >> woodruff: then, righting a wrong. once overlooked soldiers receive the medal of honor nearly 100 years after fighting on the front lines of world war one. >> ifill: plus, media for and by those who are homeless, from newspapers to the silver scree

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China , Yangtze River , China General , India , Germany , Russia , Parvati , India General , Russian , Judy Woodruff , Mohammad Ali Kasim , Alistair Cooke , Gwen Ifill , Sarah Layton ,

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