Learn what topics you should avoid during small talk in Hindi
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Intro |
|---|
| Alisha: What topics are taboo in Hindi? |
| Shakti: And what are some things you should avoid doing? |
| Alisha: At HindiPod101.com, we hear these questions often. In this scenario, Karen Lee and Madhu Manchanda are chatting in a nice atmosphere while drinking coffee. Everything changes when Karen says, "I love to see people hug in public. " |
| कैरन: मुझे बहुत अच्छा लगता है जब दो प्यार करने वाले सबके सामने एक दूसरे के गले लगते हैं। (mujhe bahuT acchaa LagaTaa hai jab Do pyaar karaNe vaaLe Sabake SaamaNe ek Duusare ke gaLe LagaTe hain.) |
| Dialogue |
| कैरन: मुझे बहुत अच्छा लगता है जब दो प्यार करने वाले सबके सामने एक दूसरे के गले लगते हैं। (mujhe bahuT acchaa LagaTaa hai jab Do pyaar karaNe vaaLe Sabake SaamaNe ek Duusare ke gaLe LagaTe hain.) |
| मधु: कुछ और बात करते हैं। (kuch aur baaT karaTe hain.) |
| Alisha: Once more with the English translation. |
| कैरन: मुझे बहुत अच्छा लगता है जब दो प्यार करने वाले सबके सामने एक दूसरे के गले लगते हैं। (mujhe bahuT acchaa LagaTaa hai jab Do pyaar karaNe vaaLe Sabake SaamaNe ek Duusare ke gaLe LagaTe hain.) |
| Alisha: "I love to see people hug in public. " |
| मधु: कुछ और बात करते हैं। (kuch aur baaT karaTe hain.) |
| Alisha: "Let's talk about something else. " |
Lesson focus |
| Alisha: Indian people are generally nice and friendly. They may hesitate to interact with people they've met for the first time, but once they become more comfortable with that person, they won't hesitate to open up. Nevertheless, it's not unusual for many Indians to be conservative, or |
| Shakti: रूढ़िवादी (ruudhivaaDii). |
| Alisha: For this reason, when you're in India, it's important to be aware of proper social etiquette, or |
| Shakti: शिष्टाचार (sistaacaar). |
| Alisha: This means we need to be aware of India's cultural do's and don'ts. This includes being conscious about which topics are taboo, |
| Shakti: निषिद्ध (NisiDDH). |
| Alisha: or not. So, what topics are taboo in Hindi? |
| [Recall 1] |
| Alisha: To answer the question, let's take a closer look at the dialogue. |
| Do you remember how Karen says, "I love to see people hug in public?" |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Shakti: मुझे बहुत अच्छा लगता है जब दो प्यार करने वाले सबके सामने एक दूसरे के गले लगते हैं। (mujhe bahuT acchaa LagaTaa hai jab Do pyaar karaNe vaaLe Sabake SaamaNe ek Duusare ke gaLe LagaTe hain.) |
| [Recall 2] |
| Alisha: And do you remember how Madhu answers, "Let's talk about something else?" |
| (pause 4 seconds) |
| Shakti: कुछ और बात करते हैं (kuch aur baaT karaTe hain.) |
| Alisha: Seeing two people displaying their affection in public may seem sweet and romantic for most cultures, but, in India, it is something that's considered unacceptable. This is the reason Karen's remark made Madhu uncomfortable, resulting in her asking Karen to talk about something else. India is considered a traditional culture, and topics such as sex and sexuality, or |
| Shakti: लैंगिकता (LaingikaTaa) |
| Alisha: should not be discussed openly. In relation to this, there are still many parts of India today where women's menstrual periods are considered taboo. When a girl's period comes each month, she has to isolate herself and is not able to participate in daily family routines until her period has ended and she has been "purified." This taboo became the subject of the Bollywood film Padman in 2018. Aside from these two, another topic that is considered taboo in India is infertility, or |
| Shakti: बांझपन (baanjhapan) |
| Alisha: Just as in some other cultures, childlessness is considered a curse in India. Infertile women suffer much more the consequences of being infertile than men do. This is the reason women who are not able to bear children are often ashamed to consult physicians about their condition due to the fear of being embarrassed. |
| [Summary] |
| Alisha: In this lesson, you learned about some of the topics that you should avoid discussing in public when you're in India. If you're not sure whether a topic is taboo or not, it's better not to bring up the topic at all, or at least ask the person first whether they mind talking about it or not. |
| Expansion |
| Alisha: We can't talk about taboo topics without talking about religion, or |
| Shakti: धर्म (DHarm). |
| Alisha: We know that India is home to many religions, and with it comes a myriad of conservative ideas and taboos. In fact, many of the practices that are considered taboo in Hindi stem from the religious beliefs of the people. For instance, in India, atheism, or |
| Shakti: नास्तिकता (NaaSTikaTaa) |
| Alisha: Is oftentimes frowned upon. This may not be surprising, given that many people consider the country as a land of gods and goddesses. Also, in India, for some people, interreligious or interfaith marriages are considered contentious. In many Indian religions, this act is not sacred and is not encouraged. The same thing is true with inter-caste marriages. |
| Shakti: अंतरजातीय विवाह (aNTarajaaTiiy vivaah). |
| Alisha: Those who dare to marry outside of their caste often face consequences in the form of social boycotts and even violence. The good news is that this practice is gradually gaining acceptance as a result of increasing education and urbanization. |
| Cultural Expansion |
| Alisha: If you have noticed, the taboo practices we have discussed so far are connected to either religion or sexuality. This hasn't always been the case. Historically, it may be argued that India is one of the cultures that pioneered sex education through various forms of art, such as sculptures, |
| Shakti: मूर्तियां (muurTiyaan) |
| Alisha: painting, |
| Shakti: चित्र (ciTr) |
| Alisha: and literature |
| Shakti: साहित्य (SaahiTy). |
| Alisha: Over time, the subject of sex has become heavily associated with morality, with most people considering sex before marriage as a dishonorable and sinful act. Today, many Indians are starting to discover that this attitude toward sex was in fact heavily influenced by the Victorian attitudes toward sex of the British empire, which once colonized India. Relaxation of such social norms can now slowly be observed among India's young generation. For instance, in 2014, a public hugging and kissing campaign was launched in protest against the moral police. The campaign was called |
| Shakti: प्यार के चुंबन (pyaar ke cumbaN) |
| Alisha: or "Kiss of Love." |
Outro |
| Alisha: Do you have any more questions? We're here to answer them! |
| Shakti: फिर मिलेंगे! (phir miLenge!) |
| Alisha: See you soon! |
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