The Royals and the Wealthy traditionally have been patrons of the Arts. But they are not the only ones. Dehradun on Thursday lost one – Pradeep Gupta, who owned a teashop on Chakrata Road named ‘Tiptop’, an ‘adda’ for poets, writers, artists, theatre wallahs, budding politicians, liberal activists and, among others, journalists. It was Pradeep’s literary inclination that he allowed this crowd to frequent his teashop for hours on end, serving them the occasional ‘doh ka teen’, ‘teen ka panch’ cups of tea, entirely unconcerned about the loss of business such gatherings may cause.
So well known it was that it was never a surprise to meet some of the best-known writers of the country sitting there engaged in vigorous debate on every subject under the sun. It was regularly frequented by those who became established Hindi and Urdu litterateurs, some of whom are no longer with us. The list is too long to mention here. There is absolutely no doubt that the venue served a major role in developing their talents through the regular interactions. Pradeep took part even as he performed his role as the host. Many of the anthems of the Uttarakhand statehood movement were first tested at Tiptop. The ideology of the protest was partly shaped there, providing inspiration to the movement on the streets.
It was, of course, not the only such ‘adda’ in the city, but was easily the most broad-based, ideologically speaking. The hard Right and Left sat side by side and debated most vigorously under Pradeep’s benign eye. In a Doon that was a sleepy laidback town at that time, before the roads were widened and the malls had come up, those in search of intellectual stimulation ultimately found their way to Tiptop. Plays that would be staged at the Town Hall had their formative moments there. It was where an entire generation of intellectuals found sanctuary. There would always be a ‘sutradhar’ present, through whose services a debate would pass from one group to another, while awestruck initiates absorbed all they could as they watched.
Then, of course, times changed. A busy emerging city, playing its role as the state capital, could no longer provide the leisure needed for long hours of sipping tea with the occasional samosa. Chakrata Road itself transformed and one did not even notice when Tiptop faded away and became an outlet for other services. But Pradeep will be always remembered for having served the literary cause in a unique and unusual way. His memory will always be cherished by those who enjoyed his hospitality.
