“Haathon mein choodiyan pehen rakhi hain kya?” literally means, “Are you wearing bangles?” But in everyday Hindi, it has long been used to mean, “Are you too scared to do something?”
Which makes me wonder: when did bangles become responsible for cowardice?
Countless Indian women have raised families, earned livelihoods, survived violence, fought discrimination and challenged authority. Most of them wore bangles. Their courage was never determined by what they wore. Millions of bangles, therefore, are being dragged into a matter they have absolutely nothing to do with. The insult was never really about jewellery; it was about a much older assumption: women are weak, and a man who fails to meet a certain idea of masculinity must somehow be like a woman.
Someone refuses to fight?
Haathon mein choodiyan pehen rakhi hain kya?
Doesn’t want to threaten someone?
Same question.
Refuses to behave like an overexcited Hindi-film hero?
Out come the choodiyan.
Apparently, at some point in the history of the Hindi language, a committee decided that bangles would become the official unit of male cowardice.
“Gentlemen, we need a metaphor for weakness.”
“Flowers?”
“No, too delicate.”
“Silk?”
“Too poetic.”
“Bangles?”
“Excellent. And what shall they represent?”
“Women.”
“Perfect. Meeting adjourned.”
I live in Delhi, so let us test this theory. There are potholes outside my house that have survived several elections: general, assembly and municipal. They have outlived road repairs, promises and probably a few contractors. Delhi’s traffic remains an everyday test of patience. Winter AQI regularly becomes a crisis. Red tape appears to have permanent residency. For all these problems, perhaps we need only one question:
Choodiyan pehen rakhi hain kya?
It is wonderfully efficient. No investigation. No accountability. Just blame the bangles. The irony is that bangles have shown more consistency than several institutions I can think of. An institution currently in the news for all the wrong reasons might even benefit from a few dozen pairs. At least someone at the top might finally take a stand.
Please check whether the officers are wearing bangles. Provide them some if they are not. Perhaps this is the administrative reform India has been waiting for.
Photos and text by Prerna Jain.
