Agra in the Grip of Linguistic Pollution: Why Do Agra's People Prefer to Target Women with Abuses?

By Brij Khandelwal

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December 23, 2024

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Education, culture, prosperity—these are no barriers when it comes to the use of foul and derogatory language spoken in Agra. From one angle, gender-targeted abuses add a distinct flavor and color to the language shamelessly used by the people of Agra. The residents are neither troubled nor compelled by linguistic pollution. Women, like men, are adept at using derogatory language. Age is also no barrier.

In the old days, people used idioms, proverbs, and couplets to embellish their expressions, but with the rising levels of anger and frustration, sexually oriented dialogue has become the order of the day.

Abuses and swear words serve as intriguing reflections of societal norms and frustrations, particularly among commoners in regions like Agra. It is notable that when eloquence falters, many resort to foul language as a means of expression, targeting mothers, sisters, and physical organs in every sentence to express their anger.

In rural Agra, as in many communities, the use of swearing or using abuses is often regarded as a legitimate outlet for angst and frustration. As people grapple with daily hardships and systemic injustices, swearing becomes a linguistic crutch that allows them to vent their emotions. However, it is worth questioning the targeting of women within these insults. A striking aspect of abusive language in this context is its gendered nature. The frequent invocation of mothers, sisters, and daughters in swears raises critical concerns about misogyny and the objectification of women. By employing familial references to insult someone, they not only demean their target but also project a disturbing view of women as commodities that can be dragged into disputes.

Public commentator Paras Nath Choudhary recently claimed that swearing serves as a non-violent tool for societal change. Although unconventional, it positions abuse as a form of expression that challenges the status quo. He suggests that while swearing may lack the refinement of idioms and proverbs, it embodies an authentic reaction against systemic oppression.

A recent research initiative by a university exploring the depths of abusive language underscores a pivotal moment in recognizing the role of such abusive expressions in sociolinguistic studies. This growing academic interest signals a shift towards understanding not just what is said, but why language—especially abusive language—remains an enduring facet of communication among common people.

In Agra, people keep on abusing, although abuses have become so common that their real meaning or thrust has been lost. Why are mother, sister, daughter targeted in every abuse? Brother-in-law is considered a polite abuse. Social thinker Srivastav says, "Society has to be changed not by bullets but by abuses. In a non-violence loving society like India, expressing anger through abuses is justified. There is a need to expand the abuses, especially LGBT community-friendly abuses should be produced." He reminds that abusing is also an accepted norm or ritual in Hindu society, like in weddings, women welcome the baraatis with abuses in a rhythmic manner, people enjoy, the mixed culture of streets and neighborhoods is adorned with abuses. If you want to work in the police, then it is necessary to be proficient in abuses.

Khusket Akbarabadi wrote years ago, "He who does not know how to abuse, his life is empty." Agra has been fortunate that instead of using weapons in fights, we make do with abuses.

In societies which are more educated, prosperous, and polite, only a bullet from a gun is successful to establish dominance or to prove one's madness. People of a sick society use pistols, members of cultured and civilized society express their irritation and anger through abuses.

Udham Pandit, an expert on the culture of Agra city, is pained that the western influence has caused a lot of damage to the abuse culture of the Taj City. The youth are only using "oh shit", perhaps the English vocabulary does not have much variety.

Nevertheless, abuses add current and boldness to the spoken language, so let it continue, say the wise people.