I swear

Shivli Tyagi / TNN / Apr 13, 2006, 21:32 IST

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Call them expletives, gaalis, whatever. We can't print them though most Indians use them liberally everyday while speaking.

Call them expletives, gaalis, whatever. We can't print them though most Indians use them liberally everyday while speaking.
When Aamir Khan and his friends sang 'Aye Sala' in Rang De Basanti --only a few cringed in their seats. For others, using expletives had become a way of life and one word in a song hardly made a difference.
Just as SMS language threatens to give every linguist a heart attack, the use of expletives in daily conversations is a trend that's got observers worried.
A recent poll in the US found that over 74 percent of the respondents had encountered profanity more in their daily life than ever before. The scene is much the same back home.

For collegian Ashish Sahay, splattering each sentence with a few gaalis is 'cool'. "Hey, it isn't offensive anymore Most of these words are just spoken in jest," he reasons.
And it's not just the men who are cursing their way to glory. Actress Dia Mirza feels using expletives was never restricted to any gender. "No one considers it an insult today. In fact many such words have become a part of our daily vocabulary."
Ad man Prahlad Kakar says "I speak only in profanity and that is why I am rarely asked to get up on the podium. I feel if these words are used judiciously, they certainly do a better job of getting across emotions." But director Apoorva Lakhia feels swear words are something which you use only with close buddies.

"If it is between friends it's fine. But one shouldn't use such words in public. And it is still considered rude to swear in front of women."
Delhi based designer Anshu Arora seconds the opinion. "With friends it is different. But even today if a child utters a swear word, he or she will get a scolding from the elders."
Talking on behalf of the brat-pack DJ Ruzan says, "Using swear words is like making a fashion statement and is used by 'wannabes' for the shock value. And yes women too swear with equal flair!" Psychologist Hansal Bhachech puts it down to the 'lowering of the shame factor'.
"People are no longer ashamed of using these words just as youngsters are not embarrassed about wearing revealing clothes. It is because of this social shift that the acceptance levels have gone up."
Predictable as an explanation. But is there more to it than what meets the eye? Over to the readers.

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