A recent statement by Indian politician Rahul Gandhi regarding "culture shock" over women using swear words has re-ignited a debate about gender disparity in how public profanity is perceived and reacted to. Journalist Namita Bhandare, who writes a column on gender issues for the Hindustan Times, told the BBC that contrary to public perception, many women in India do use expletives, a practice not new to the country. In some northern Indian villages, a wedding ritual even involves women from the bride's family singing a medley of expletives to welcome the groom's party, a tradition that is not considered offensive.
Bhandare suggested that describing the use of profanity at a protest as a "culture shock" and singling out women for it reveals a double standard, especially given that politicians of all parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have used slurs against women. Despite Modi's call to fight misogyny in his 2022 Independence Day speech and government initiatives aimed at uplifting women, he and his party colleagues have faced criticism for disrespectful comments. Modi himself has been criticized for using terms like "Jersey cow" and "50 crore ki girlfriend" in past rallies. This criticism is not limited to his party; opposition politicians, including those from the Congress party, have also faced similar allegations. A Congress leader in Kerala, for instance, recently drew outrage for remarks about using women to file false complaints against political opponents.
Social activist Sunil Jalan, who leads a campaign against the use of cuss words, advocates for focusing on swearing itself rather than the gender of the person using it. His NGO's survey last year indicated that 55% of over 70,000 participants across India admitted to using foul language. The survey also found high prevalence rates of expletives targeting mothers, sisters, or daughters in northern states, with Delhi reporting 80%, Punjab 78%, and Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at 74%. Most southern states reported below 44%, and northeastern states were between 15% and 18%.
Jalan views the current dialogue over foul language as a significant development. He described profanity as a "virus that's spread through society," noting that comedy, jokes, and films have normalized swearing, which he believes needs to be curbed. The ongoing discussion, he hopes, will lead to positive outcomes in addressing the issue of profanity in India.