On February 7, Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra was seen using abusive language inside the Parliament. In a viral video, she was heard using the word ‘hara*i’ while another lawmaker, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, of the Telugu Desham Party was speaking.
At 7:23 PM on February 7, 2023, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu presented his remarks during the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha. As per the uncorrected discussion text available on Lok Sabha’s website, Mahua said, “Kitne [word removed] bante hain… Kitne mahaan… aapko to pata hoga…”Several members of the Parliament objected to the language and demanded an apology from her. This ‘removed word’ was ‘harami’.
Decoding the etymology of the word Harami
The word ‘hara*i’ finds its origin in the Arabic language. Haram is the root word. Haram means forbidden, unlawful, unaccepted, or prohibited. This qualification can be bestowed upon any noun. that is, to any place, object, person, etc. Essentially it carries a negative shade or tonality of the meaning. Haram also means concubine or female slave.
Hara*i is a derivative of the word haram which means an act, outcome, or doer of what is unlawful or atrocious or simply what is haram. Therefore the meanings of the word harami include ‘something related to illegal or unlawful, illegitimate, unlawful, illegal, ill mate, spurious, a doer of what is forbidden or unlawful, a wicked, person, wicked, atrocious, robber, assassin, rascal, cheat, bastard’. In short, when someone is called harami, he is referred to with the most extreme abuse ever. Because harami also means the one who is born of a female slave. Mahua Moitra called BJP MP ‘harami’.
Mahua Moitra brazens out her abusive remarks
A day after using abusive language inside the Parliament, TMC MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday seemed to defend herself by blaming the ‘Indian patriarchial system’ and indicated that nobody would have targeted a man for saying what she said. The MP instead of issuing an apology counter-attacked the people who slammed her for using the ‘hara*i’ word inside the parliament.
“BJP is saying how can I use such a word being woman, do I need to be a man to be able to give it back as good as it gets? So there’s patriarchy. I’m surprised BJP is teaching us parliamentary etiquette. That representative from Delhi heckled me. I’ll call an apple an apple, not an orange…if they’ll take me to the privileges committee, I’ll put my side of the story,” TMC MP Mahua Moitra said on February 8.
However, Mahua Moitra essentially contradicted herself in this explanation. She accused the BJP of patriarchy. In fact, the meaning of harami is the one who is born of a female slave. Calling someone harami is bluntly abusive. Keeping female slaves is patriarchy. TMC MP Mahua Moitra is known for such irresponsible comments.