Khadi Boli was the language I used in a comment on a YouTube channel.
It read:
“भाई, पर्सनैल्टी डवलप करणी है के? तो टेम क्यूँ खो रा, आजा मेरी वेबसाइट पै … AvdheshTondak.com.”
Within minutes, the channel owner replied. He suggested that if I wanted to promote my website, I should be using decent language and not the kind of language I used. Not only that, but he also offered unsolicited advice: “Using such indecent words shall give a bad name to your personality and will spoil the goodwill.”
And I wondered what made him take Khadi Boli for indecent language.
Khadi Boli is An “Indecent” Language, Really?
Well, that gentleman is not alone in mistaking the Khadi language for some roadside, downmarket lingo.
Many native Khadi Boli speakers (most college-going young boys and girls) consider their language obscene, rowdy, and uncivilized. Not only that, but they are also ashamed that they belong to a Khadi Boli-speaking region.
And guess what? These same young people do everything to improve their spoken English. They even write comments in broken English on social networking sites and speak clumsy and awkwardly accented English in job interviews, social gatherings, group discussions, etc.
But why do they do that? Somehow, they believe that there’s only one decent language in the world, and that is English. (Are you serious?) 🙄
I don’t know who did it or why and when it happened, but if you’re one such person, let me ask you this to your face:
Why do you undermine everything raw, unrefined, and rustic? In other words, why do you undermine everything authentic? What does decency have to do with language? How come English is a decent language, and Khadi Boli is not?
You see, it’s not the language, but the type of words and tone we use that makes us sound decent or indecent. For instance, isn’t calling someone “Motherfucker” as rude as calling him “मादरचोद,” eh?
Here’s What Happens When You Don’t Embrace Your Own Language
People start intimidating you because you “let” them.
For instance, Punjabis can speak Punjabi, Biharis can freely talk in Bihari, and Bengalis can speak in Bangla. Which is Okay, and not just okay but cool as well. But the moment you speak Khadi Boli, you turn into an indecent monstrosity. I mean, really?
This bias of yours only shows your ignorance about Khadi Boli and the role it played in the evolution of modern Hindi. Want to know the truth? Well, it might be hard to digest, but here you go.
Khadi Boli is the BIG MAMMA of Standard Hindi and Urdu
Surprised? Were you assuming that Khadi Boli is an indecent language? Well, sorry to disappoint you.
The truth is that Khadi Boli aka Kauravi is the “Gangotri,” the source of today’s standard Hindi and Urdu.
So, am I saying embrace Khadi Boli because it’s the mother of standard Hindi and Urdu? No, that’s not the point. I am saying, that by rejecting your language you are rejecting yourself. Accept your language because it’s your language and not because it has contributed to such and such things. And it applies to all the languages. Be it Khadi Boli or Bangla or Marathi or whatever.
Let me share an incident to make my point clearer:
A couple of years ago, I met a guy from Mainpuri in the All India Radio canteen who was embarrassed about his diction.
“Sir, no matter how hard I try, I find it difficult to pronounce “sh,” please help me correct it.” He was nervous.
“But why are you losing your confidence over a sound? How do most people in your region speak “sh?” I was curious.
“Most of them pronounce “sh” as “s”,” he replied.
“There you go. If “sh” is pronounced as “s” in your region by most people, then that’s the way it is. First, accept it the way it is. And from there on, start practicing it to correct it. Practice it because you need to speak on the radio, not because something is wrong with it. And remember, acceptance comes first and everything else later.” I suggested.
Alright, back to Khadi Boli.
Are Native Khadi Boli Speakers “Victims?”
Khadi Boli has not gained the recognition and respect it deserves, yet. And nobody is to be blamed but us.
By “Us” I mean the people from “Harit Pradesh“—Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Baraut, Baghpat, Shamli, Noida, Ghaziabad, Bijnaur, Bulandshahar, and neighboring areas (the Khadi Boli region). It’s us, the native Khadi boli speakers, who disown their own damn dialect. I don’t know what could be more shameful than disrespecting your language. For me, disowning one’s language is no less shameful than abandoning one’s own mother.
When you don’t own your language, it gives others a chance to label Khadi Boli “Indecent,” even though those “others” freely use vulgar words with “Gutkha” still in their mouths. (No, I don’t hate Purabiyas—not all of them. In fact, I have a couple of friends who belong to the Eastern side. Pretty decent folks. But I do despise the ones who have turned the whole of Delhi and half of the country into a “Spitting Hole.”)
Now tell me:
Are you saying that the foulmouth Gutkha-spitting hordes who don’t even have common sense will lecture us on “respect,” “culture,” and “decency”? Like, really? Where is your self-respect guys, huh?
Enough is enough.
Listen:
I didn’t want to say this but it’s time I got it off my chest:
You’re being too hard on yourself. Yes, you are.
The reality is…
लोग-बाग अन्ग्रेज्जि मैं Motherfucker, Shit, Crap, Bitch, Fuck बोल्लैं तो वो तो उनका “इस्टाइल ,” अर तम अपणी खड़ी बोल्ली मैं “बाहण का लवड़ा” कह दो तो तम हो ग्ये indecent. के गजब का loggic है भाई थारा भी 🙄
And you know why this happens? Because you let them. You’re not the victim, instead, you are the culprit. So, don’t be offended the next time somebody insults your “weird” diction.
Why do I say so?
Well, have you noticed that you don’t speak Khadi Boli despite having the opportunity because you fear people will take you for a Ganvār, just like Sunil did?
Who’s Sunil, you ask?
Here’s the backstory:
A couple of years ago, I received a phone call from a guy named Sunil (name changed). He wanted my advice on increasing his self-confidence. So, we met in a nice restaurant in Janakpuri. He ordered snacks and drinks and we began chatting. He revealed he was from Shamli. But his tone, his diction, and his mannerisms showed nothing of it. He sounded like a regular Delhiite.
“Sunil bhai, I had told you that I belong to Muzaffarnagar. And you say you are from Shamli but I am yet to hear a word of Khadi Boli from you. Had you not told me where are you from, I couldn’t have known. You know why? Because you don’t sound like you come from a Khadi Boli-speaking region,” I commented.
“Sir, I don’t speak in my native language because people consider it a Ganvāru language,” he replied.
“Alright, but why aren’t you speaking with me in Khadi Boli even though you know we both belong to Western Uttar Pradesh?”
He smiled.
Then I helped him understand why it’s important to speak one’s own language. And what is confidence anyway? It’s being in total acceptance of who you are. That’s where confidence comes from. By accepting who you are.
Now, let me ask you. What is it in being labeled as a “Ganvār?” What’s your fear?
Why Are You Afraid of Being Labelled as “Ganvār?” What’s the Big Deal?
What’s wrong with being a Ganvār? The word “Ganvār” refers to a villager—a person belonging to a village, simple.
Agreed, that a Ganvār may not have a refined or sophisticated style of articulating himself, but that doesn’t make him an idiot.
So if you need encouragement or permission to accept your “Ganvar” side, let me give you some. I am a Ganvār because I was born in a village in Muzaffarnagar, and am not ashamed of being called one.
Guys, come on, I mean, seriously. I am a voice actor and have worked extensively for All India Radio’s FM gold channel, Doordarshan, BBC, National Geographic Channel, Pocket FM, Kuku FM, Audible, and way too many others to list here. I have given my voice to hundreds of projects in Hindi and English and I always wore Khadi Boli on my sleeve as a matter of pride. People in my industry know that I am a native Khadi Boli speaker. So what the hell are you so afraid of, brother, huh?
Now, I am not suggesting speaking in your mother tongue when you’re required to speak English. No, that’s not what I mean. Doing so will not display your love or pride for your language but rather your arrogance. Silly. Arrogance. And we’re not talking about being rude here.
If you haven’t already, let me encourage you to hold your head high, take pride in who you are, and embrace your language. If someone considers Khadi Boli to be indecent or disrespectful, it’s their problem, not yours.
Here’s the thing:
I figure that the people labeling Khadi Boli rude seem to have an issue with our frequent use of “Tu (तू) ” and “Tum (तुम)।” They argue that addressing someone as “Tu (तू)” is disrespectful and that using “Aap (आप)” shows respect.
Alright.
Consider two sentences:
“आप बड़े मादरचोद हैं।”
And…
“तू घणि सुथरी लग री है।”
Now you decide which sentence sounds respectful to you.
Got my point?
Cool.
So next time, when somebody tries to “cancel” your language, ask them: “What do you know about Khadi Boli, and who the hell are you to demean my language?” (That’s what I do when “self-entitled,” “cultured” or “respectful” folks try to show off their sophistication.)
You know what? As a native Khadi Boli speaker, I speak how I am supposed to. It’s my language, and I fucking own it!
Related:
Khadi Boli Shabdkosh: हरित प्रदेश (पश्चिमी उत्तर प्रदेश) की धाक्कड बोल्ली के धाक्कड शब्द