Swearing and Gaali.

There is a great deal of hypocrisy immanent in affluent Indians: it is with in relation to swearing. This is something I am writing from both personal experience and what I observe in public discourse. Elites are okay with words like ‘moron’; ‘stupid’; ‘idiot’; ‘dunderhead’, being used all the time. Afterall they consume lot of western TV and Film content, and they are quite comfortable with your F-bombs, damn-its.

Many would not have any problem with the usage of words such as twat and knobhead, provided you don’t tell them their literal meaning, and use them merely as words synonymous with being stupid and unintelligent.

Even the word ‘fuck’ these days in quotidian everyday discourse does not seem to raise any eyebrows from friends and family and people are, of course, using it all the time on Twitter, instant messaging apps, and even on Facebook walls.

But I have realized that if one is in the mood to employ use of the Hindi equivalent of some of these words in certain circles, it raises instant eyebrows and the honest utterer of such epithets can also be ostracized for being too vulgar. I can’t explain it but cursing in your mother tongue is cathartic, even though professionally we may not be using our first language. Half-educated Indians are using the word ‘shit’ all the time. But if I were to use its Hindi equivalent “T#$$#”, people would think I belong in the zoo. Why is that?

I mean I weigh my words in social situations all the time. I have the savoir faire to not commit the verbal snafus but every once in a while I fear that in my Hinglish I may crack few of my favourite cusswords in Hindi. And then, I fear, I will be judged.

This is why it became such a big issue when a Certain Chief Minister of an Indian State allegedly uttered the word ‘c#$%@’ in a viral video clip. I must say, though, later, ANI—a news agency—denied the authenticity of the video. But the discussion did rage on Twitter for a while. And as it happens, people who wanted to believe that the guy actually did use the work “C#$%” on a reporter, kept on believing it, and the CMs supporters kept on denying it.

I thought to myself, is swearing by persons occupying high office really such a big deal? I mean let us assume that viral video clip is genuine (it is not, ANI said it and for me that’s the line I am gonna take). I don’t think it’s all that big a deal. I cogitated a little deeper and an even bigger issue arose in my mind. I asked myself, what if the alleged uttering had not been the word ‘c#$%’ and instead had been the word ‘moron’ or ‘dickhead’ or ‘spastic’ as the insult, and the speaker of such epithet was some suave, urbane Harvard educated politician with great Shampoo Hair, would we have made such  big deal. I mean opposition would have registered its displeasure anyway but I believe ordinary English speaking Indians would not have made such a big deal. And therein lies our problem. The native humour, swearing is still struggling to finds its place in literature and everyday usage. May be the new OTT web series that are flooding the market are going to change that. And swearing would become respectable. I mean not that kind of respectable but you know somewhat acceptable as a way of earthy communication between the sons of the soil.