I am not sure how to convey my point without sounding "racist". Nevertheless, I shall make my comment, remembering to keep an open mind for criticisms and clarifications. Frankly, I WANT to be proved wrong!
Here goes...
In one of my earlier posts, I made an observation that Hindi-speaking youth are way too liberal in their use of Abuses - something that is not tolerated by their South India counterparts(I can speak only for Kannadigas, but I suspect it applies to other languages as well).
I want to stress this point again.
In a recently concluded sports meet, I heard all kinds of tasteless abuses being hurled by members of both contingents against each other. Of course, the Abuse Cacophony was mostly in Hindi.
Now, the common understanding is that the abuses are not to be taken 'literally' - they are only a means to distract the opponent ( It is more 'sledging' than anything else). But, the act of screaming disgusting abuses over and over again in the name of 'sledging' is beneath my understanding. These abuses are cheap and very disrespectful of the fairer sex.
I have a simple standard for comparison. Such abuses might exist in Kannada as well, I don't deny that. But one would NEVER associate such words with the vocabulary of a person who has been through formal education. It is the language of the street-rowdies , goondas or thugs. Certainly not me or my peers. (Trust me, I have a very big sample size to check and compare).
But guess what ? The people who enjoy using them are from the best undergraduate institutions in India - colleges that have constantly produced some of world's best minds.
Isn't it shocking ? How could people who have been through great educational experiences have absolutely NO REFINEMENT of tongue ? A spiritual leader once used the term "Intellectual Savages" - I find that appropriate in this context.
Given my cultural background, I can NEVER imagine myself stoop to these levels. And yet, the Hindi-speaking people seem to condone the use of abuses that are extremely disrespectful, especially of womenfolk . Is there a deeper issue of women being traditionally objectified more frequently in the Northern states than in the South ?
If you are a native Hindi-speaker, you might offer this explanation : "Look, they might sound bad to a non-Hindi speaker like you, but they are just words! you shouldn't read much into them - we don't 'mean' it when we actually 'say' it "
Give me a break!
If so, do you use it in the presence of elders - why not ? Why do you make such a big deal if you find women using them (remember the 'pagalguy episode')? And why are all the abuses biased towards one gender ?
I am looking for answers.
You see, I love the language but I am very wary of the culture it begets.
3 comments:
Absolutely. I feel exactly the same. And to add to, I have seen folks from hostels are more at ease to burp these than folks like me :). I know, not you or others from hotels whom I know. I just happened to notice these from my other circles.
u know what kandy...i was having this discussion with a friend on why do all abuses have women in them...as in madar c*** or bhan c***...i think those are the abuses u r talking about...
n we too came to a coclusion that it has to do with discrimination of women...it may not seem directly so...but it is...i will tell u bout it at length sometime...
as for the usage...i too am guilty...n no explanations offered...i guess its usage is more of mob mentality...once out of the mob....u tend to use it less
i guess it more like being a part of the group thingy.....
Its really the "company" factor here (and I think that's what Dutta is saying too). I have seen lots of people who are well capable of having dignified conversations, but at the same time can stoop down to abysmal levels of indecency when they are in a group where everyone speaks such language.
But I understand your larger point and it beats me equally. Why are people from the north such compulsive abusers ? I do know tons of those hindi abuses, but I don't use them even when everyone around me is using them. Is it just a matter of culture ?
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