Of Aindees & Khoppartunns ! रोहतक के एंडी और हरियाणा के खोप्पर-टन

Of Aindees & Khoppartunns !

By:Rajbir Deswal
One doesn’t to be a Haryanvi to know aindees and khoppartuns because they are typical to all societies and the Haryanvi dialect has labelled them with a definite nomenclature.

To pinpoint the habitat of the aindees, Rohtak region can be truly given the credit for producing them, or if you hail from outside, there are fair chances of you too becoming an aindee if you possess HIS qualities, while in Rohtak, Mind you, Rohtak for this purpose is not a city but a region, a breeding ground for aindees.

If you are a daredevil, a go-getter, flamboyant, impressive, aggressive, a carry-along type, brave, rescuer, and self-possessed then you stand a good chance to deserve the appellation – Aindee. But it is to be remembered that an element of rusticity, uncouthness, rashness devil-may-care and hardihood has always to be there besides your “ability” to retrace your steps, go back on your word and “when did-I-say-that(?)” or “when-did-I-do-that”, if your scheming turns topsy-turvy.

Yes, of course, for all that is good, if you are able to grab credit. “Who could have otherwise done it, rhetoric” and “Here I throw the challenge”; It is guaranteed that some magnanimity and larger than life façade, has to be there always.

An aindee is always more smartly dressed than others; he is the one who will break the ice and is the least of an introvert. He is to be overriding all others’ arguments even if his conscious mind accepts the facts contrary to his perception and to the admittance of all others. The aindee has really to have one-upmanship and he is a cut above all.

In the countryside any act can be hilarious if it is not really so and any act can be un-inspiring which is actually the other way round. It depends on the sharpness of the mind of the aindee how beautifully he gives it a turn in his favour or not owning the idea at all.

While in Rohtak to be an aindee or to envelop one in that mantle, titled or self-assumed, the word is his. A mere mention of AINDEE is praise of you or prefixing or suffixing this title with your name gives you acceptance in that seemingly sleepy society. Sleepy because these are the very people who have still retained their untainted character typical of the (Jat-heart) land!

Now (and how?) about khoppartunns? The expression is quite suggestive. The only thing you have to do is translate it into English. Well ‘Khoppar’ is the Khopri or the skull and ‘Tunn’ is the sound produced resonating from a hollow utensil, bell, pitcher, well etc. etc. So the empty skull with its resonance of blankness or nothingness above one’s shoulders will make you a good khoppartunn.

Khoppartunn is not the exact antithesis of an aindee for the latter has an imbibed and inculcated trait of deceit, craft and machinations. Yet,l while the aindee will do some smarting also the khoppartunn will blissfully miss all that and will work in a blind bargain situation. The khoppartunn will never think and act, will never accept a sound advice to think and act, will act but on his own and not at someone’s bidding, goading, coaxing, inspiring, commanding, cajoling, luring, and do what you will to stir him up.

Khoppartunn will jump in a well, dash against a wall, swing on the tallest tender branch of a tree, make pace with a running vehicle, lift a quintal stone, burn his fingers literally and have no regrets, not even the wisdom of not repeating the act again will “tunn” against his khopri.

Khoppartunns are quite close to simpletons but only to the extent that while all khoppartunns may be simpletons but all simpletons cannot be khoppartunns. Amongst the simpletons there is always an element of innocence while the khoppartunns may not even know what is innocence. Yet they will justify their acts as “done-so-done”. A simpleton may repent on his deeds but a khoppartunn may never ever say a word of remorse or feel the guilt of it.

Within the aindees and khoppartunns, although all aindees may have something of a khoppartunn but all khoppartunns should have nothing of an aindee. Admittedly, the rusticity of a khoppartunn is always the main ingredient of the making of an aindee.

The best example to differentiate between a khoppartunn and an aindee is that if an aindee should break the windscreen of a passing car he may not own it (having done so) but this accusation on being slapped on the khoppartunn, he may admit: “Yes, I did it, what then?”

While khoppatunns are born as such, the aindees have to undergo an appreciation test of their “calibre” well directed towards their “personality development”. And thus there are aindees in the making, regular aindees and super-aindees. The last category is called a ripe one or pucca hoya aindee. If someone questions: “Are you a the twice born.” Yes he is, for he is a Rohtaki. And now the last word about this supremo.

It is said of the aindees of Rohtak that if you hammer a nail in their head, you will need a screwdriver to take it out in the shape of a screw because a nail will develop grooves during its stay in the head of a Rohtaki.

This was publihsed in The Tribune