‘TU’ BE OR ‘AAP’ TO BE? DELHIITES GIVE THEIR TU CENTS
The Twitter debate has spiralled into a meme fest, but team Delhi sure knows its priority!
Recently, a Twitter user who goes by the name PratPanc spoke about how Mumbaikars addressing strangers as ‘tu’ is “unacceptable behaviour”. What ensued was a frenzy of memes, mockery and ultimately, another nail in the coffin of Team Delhi versus Team Bombay!
Where do Dilliwallahs stand, in this tu vs aap conversation? “This tutadak feels so invasive, unless you really know the person,” says Tanya Khatri, 26, a marketing consultant from GK-I, who feels the usage of ‘aap’ stems from the culture of “giving respect to everyone”.
Malkhan Singh, a 55year-old auto driver in the Capital, seconds Khatri. “Jo bhi baithta hai, hum unhe madam ya sir bolte hain. Chhota baithe ya bada baithe, sab ‘aap’ hote hain. ‘Tu’ toh apne yaar logon ke liye rakhte hain. Meri mrs bhi ‘aap’ hi hain,” he quips.
This debate is not limited to active Twitterati only. Actor Ayushmann Khurrana and author Naomi Datta too weighed in. Khurrana shared a clip from his 2015 film Dum Laga Ke Haisha and wrote, “A rare “Tu” moment. Approx 230 kms away from Delhi.” Datta, on the other hand, called the whole debate “khaali fukat”.
But, there are some like Ashwin Raja, who do not understand the fuss. “’Tu’ is a common way of addressing each other, be it in school or college. I don’t understand what the ruckus is about. Linguistic difference bhi koi cheez hoti hai ki nahin?” says this final-year engineering student.
Shivash Chagti, a 26year-old indie songwriter from Rajouri Garden, feels the whole discussion is operating in a “grey space”. He adds, “Language is so personal. If I am writing about my muse in a loving way, I tend to use ‘aap’ or ‘tum’. But, if it’s a quirky song, it will have ‘tu’ or ‘tera’... English hi sahi hai, you are you, nothing else.”