India is our nation and we are proud of it. It has given us so much- our roots, our culture, our freedom, our home. We love everything about our nation, the diversity, cultures, richness, natural resources and values. We teach our children that ours is the best country in the world. Indeed it is! And it is our responsibility to value everything it has given us. Our rich cultural heritage also comes with the rich and diverse language heritage. It is estimated that over 780 languages are spoken in India. And sadly it is observed that people are disrespecting their own language by using gaalis in their day to day conversations. Gaalis have become a gaali for the country’s deep rooted values. A progressive nation is marked by busy progressive people running after success, trying to outdo time and win over businesses and profits.

In the bargain, while forever busy competing, they lose their cool demeanour, start using gaalis and curse words and try to control their emotions this way. With most people it comes easy to vent out their frustrations using gaalis in front of their family members and friends without realising that family consists of children as well. And children behave like a sponge that soaks up negativity that comes across in their life. It is appalling to see most toddlers use gaalis without even realising what they actually mean. All this just because they innocently try to emote their loved ones whom they often see using these gaalis in their day to day conversations.

Their loved ones’ aggression soon reflects as their own and it doesn’t take long for gaalis to then become part of their vocabulary. And they begin to think there’s nothing wrong with it. Most young teens and youngsters greet each other using gaalis as they find it very fashionable and it gives them some kind of control over their feelings. They start using gaalis as they learn them from people around them, their elder siblings, their parents, their neighbours, their seniors at schools or while commuting in buses. There’s so much negativity- they see their parents argue, there’s peer pressure, there’s inferiority complex, there’s sibling rivalry, there’s constant pressure to perform and come out as the best student academically and in sports- Children today are equally under stress as any adult trying to meet ends and win bread. So for them gaalis come easy and it adds more to their aggression and angst. And who is responsible for all this, it’s time to ask this question and find the answer yourself? It’s time to stop using gaalis at home and anywhere you go with children. It’s time to instil the respect for languages in children and teach them the A,B,C of life devoid of gaalis. This will start when you yourself are free from the bondage of gaalis. You have to promise yourself never to use gaalis in your life so as to set a good example to your children who look up to you are their role model.

Over to you now! It’s act as responsible citizens and work towards making India Gaali Free.

Learn more about this initiative on www.gaalifreeindia.org. Be a Gaali Free Ambassador! Pledge to never use gaalis in front of children, at work, with friend, at home or in your surroundings. Respect your language and pass on the rich language heritage to your posterity that’s devoid of the filth of gaalis! Do it for your children’s sake!