Mallikarjun Kharge's recent fiery retort at a public meeting in Patna has sparked an amusing cultural debate on the use of indigenous, non-vulgar political expressions and the potential rise of authentic Indian expletives.

Mallikarjun Kharge's recent fiery retort at a public meeting in Patna has sparked an amusing cultural debate on the use of indigenous, non-vulgar political expressions and the potential rise of authentic Indian expletives.

Mallikarjun Kharge's recent fiery retort at a public meeting in Patna has sparked an amusing cultural debate on the use of indigenous, non-vulgar political expressions and the potential rise of authentic Indian expletives.

Mr Mallikarjun Kharge, our Congress neta and leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, is sadly being deprived of the commendation and applause he rightly deserves. At a recent public meeting in Patna, even as his speech was going on, a heckler taunted him, saying whatever the Congress did, our Prime Minister was impossible to dislodge – Modi nahi jayega. When the line was repeated in a derisive chant, a nettled Kharge launched a furious comeback: ‘Uska bap bhi jayega’. Literally, that translates as ‘his father will also go’. But you and I know its real meaning.

As a connoisseur of cuss words, who has for long bemoaned our dependence on swear words of uncertain origin, I give a hearty thumbs-up to Mr Kharge’s bold initiative in promoting made-in-India bad words.

Take a long hard look at our staple currency – the kind you hear at every street corner when a red-blooded Indian speaks his mind: BCs, MCs and the ubiquitous c*****a. None of them is indigenous or exclusive. They are easily translatable, ready for use by an irritated Italian, an angsty Argentinian, or a raging Russian. Also, they are cheap and coarse, and you will not find any of them in a respectable publication like this one.

No sex please, we are bhakts

But ‘bap bhi jayega (BBJ)’ is in a class of its own. Pause a moment to admire its finer points. It’s not vulgar like the ones that describe parts of anatomy. There is not a hint of scatology or sex involved. Best of all, you can print it in full without asterisks, blanks, or other methods of subterfuge to soften its impact on those with delicate sensibilities.

By bringing ‘bap’ into the equation, as Kharge just did, you give your invective an identity as Indian as your passport. Actually, it goes one better for we have it on good authority that the passport is only a travel document.

When you want to profane, at least be patriotic

The larger question is: should an octogenarian (as Mr Kharge is) be uttering unmentionables? What example is he setting for the young? Well, we have all heard Gen Z on song at Jantar Mantar. They know very well when ‘****’ is needed, when they have to step up a gear and say ‘#*@*’ and if speaking to television, to keep conversation as pristine as an early morning bhajan. Also, BBJ is mild, almost like satvik swearing. So when we want to profane, we can be patriotic while we are at it.

While BBJ holds sway in large swathes of North India, there are surely regional variants waiting in the wings. Kharge’s outburst could give a shot in the arm to our cottage industry for cuss words. Imagine contributing to the kitty of a waiting world with ethnic expletives from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Bengal. And how can we forget Punjab! We will harvest a bumper crop there. Imagine the possibilities!

Bap rahe bap!

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK. 

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