The Romeos of Hazratgunj: An elegy

In Yogi Adityanath's Uttar Pradesh wayward Romeos would all be in the lock-up

“The pursuit of happiness…in Lucknow of the 1950s meant pursuing girls…The theatre of operations revolved around Hazratganj…They would arrive in cars and rickshaws wearing tight, extremely tight, salwars and kurtas…Glances were exchanged, remarks were passed, optimistic conclusions were reached…”
—Vinod Mehta, Lucknow Boy, 2011
 
For generations a favoured sport in the city of Lucknow is “Gunging”. This has nothing whatever to do with the OED meaning of clogging or encrusting with “sticky, congealed matter”; it refers to loitering with intent in the cafes and cinemas of Hazratgunj, the city’s ever-popular thoroughfare. The cool dudes of Lucknow lay in wait