Irony In Choosing Words

It is very interesting to note how we choose different words (or rather exploit them) for the similar situations. 

Let me tell you few examples.

1) In Indian society, we celebrate 'chastity' of women and 'celibacy' of men but not the other way around. We call Savitri as ‘Sati-Savitri' for her devotion towards her husband; and call sacred vow by Devavrata (Bhishma) as 'Bhishm Pratigya' for his bramhacharya pledge. After he took the celibacy pledge in front of all people, Vyasa says that- immediately the gods above rained flowers upon the head of Devavrata saying, 'bhishmoyam iti abhruvan' (this person is terrible). Indeed, a person who could undertake such a vow of life-long brahmacharya must have heroic self-control. As a result, Devavrata came to be known as Bhishma.

That is why, there is a question in my mind, why not celebrate the chastity of men? Isn't loyalty of man towards his woman important? Or why not celebrate celibacy of women? What about freedom to choose (about which we talk relentlessly day and night)- if she does not want to marry? Why put pressure or force a girl to get married before certain age? Aren't we hypocrite in celebrating one thing but not the other?

I will give you another example.

2) In 11th century, Rajendra Chola, the king of the powerful South-Indian Chola empire, had the powerful navy. He launched series of naval attacks on Sri-Vijaya empire in Malaysia and Indonesia and conquered the territory. We call these attacks as 'conquest'. We usually refer to Mughls as invaders, as Babar came to India from Afghanistan. So why we are so unhappy about 'invasion' by Mughals and happy (or feel proud) about 'conquest' of Sri-Vijaya empire by Imperial Cholas of south-India?

Did you see the wordplay between invasion and conquest?

There nothing to be happy about invasion by Mughals, but at the same time I feel, there is also nothing to be proud of invasion by Cholas to foreign territory. It was just the part of power-game at that time.

Act of showing dis-satisfaction to the government by organizing movements becomes mutiny in the eye of ruling class, and same movement becomes war of independence in the eye of masses. Invasion of one country becomes conquest by another.

Next time, we should be careful in choosing words, shouldn't we?

Peace...

P.S. Thanks to V. D. Savarkar for giving this ‘war of independence’ phrase for 1857 revolt; western historians called it ‘Sepoy Mutiny’