<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1">
</head>
<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
No, really! I mean it quite literally...<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://goo.gl/jc1Nm">http://goo.gl/jc1Nm</a><br>
Hafiz Saeed, and the perils of Indo-Pak ‘tandoor’ diplomacy<br>
<blockquote type="cite">Among the constituency of the liberal
peaceniks, there is a wistful longing for India to break bread
(or, more appropriately, <em>tandoori roti</em>) with Pakistan at
whatever cost. The ISI and the Pakistani military may be waging
proxy war in Kashmir and elsewhere, but these bleeding hearts will
hold candle-light vigils at Wagah and let out soulful sighs over
what might have been. <br>
...<br>
The news that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will host visiting
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari for lunch on Sunday has given
cause for yet more misplaced bhai-bhai bonhomie. <br>
</blockquote>
<br>
Now, for the second part--the reason I mentioned the "bhai-bhai"
sentence because it reminded me of a Russian "joke" that started out
in mocking the official propaganda slogans for the "warming" of
India-Soviet Union relations--it happened before my time, but I
heard the line throughout my childhood. But the expression is used
in Russian much to the same effect as "kumbaya" is used in English.
Apparently, it's used the same way in Indian English as well, if the
above passage can be trusted as representative. Oh, and the
clincher--neither kumbaya nor bhai-bhai are in the OED! (Wiki,
Wordnik and UD have kumbaya; the same three, plus Collins and FarLex
have "bhai", but not "bhai-bhai")<br>
<br>
Amazingly, there is quite a collection of ghits on "Hindi Russi bhai
bhai!" (with variations), and from all dates between 1955 and 2012.
Here's one (or six) in a book.<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://goo.gl/PyeIZ">http://goo.gl/PyeIZ</a><br>
Dr. Rajendra Prasad, correspondence and select documents. Volume 17.
1984<br>
Marshal K. E. Voroshilov Visit in New Delhi on January 20, 1960<br>
<blockquote type="cite">He added: "The Soviet Union firmly believes
that all controversial issues of international relations can and
must be solved by peaceful means solely. The Soviet Union is doing
all that is necessary to remove the threat of war and consolidate
peace." He concluded with the words: "Hindi-Russi Bhai-Bhai".</blockquote>
Mr. N. S. Khrushchev Visit to New Delhi on February 11, 1960.
Address at the civic reception by the citizens of Delhi, February
12, 1960.<br>
<blockquote type="cite">He concluded his speech with these words:
"Long live peace throughout the world! Long live the industrious
people of India! Jai Hind! Hindi-Russi Bhai-Bhai!"</blockquote>
26th June 1960<br>
<blockquote type="cite">
Dr. Prasad and his party spent several hours in the village of
Ksaverovka, 60 kilometers away from Kiev on the road to Lvov.<br>
When the President's car, escorted by motor cyclists on snow-white
machines, stopped in the square in front of the newly built House
of Culture, a powerful "Hindi Russi, bhai bhai" burst from the
crowd of hundreds of farmers. They presented Dr. Prasad with bread
and salt on an embroidered towel, following an old Ukrainian
tradition of honouring guests.<br>
...<br>
In conclusion Dr. Rajendra Prasad thanked them for the bread and
salt, for the hospitality accorded him. His words "Hindi-Russi
bhai-bhai" were drowned in stormy applause.<br>
...<br>
After planting the tree President Rajendra Prasad said to those
present: "I hope that our friendship will grow stronger with the
growth of this tree. I thank you for the warm feelings you have
expressed. Water this tree and attend to it with love. It will be
eternal as our friendship."<br>
These words were met with friendly applause. Shouts were heard of
"Peace, friendship!", "Hindi-Russi, bhai-bhai!"<br>
</blockquote>
30th June 1960<br>
Reception in Honour of President Rajendra Prasad<br>
Speech by President Brezhnev<br>
<blockquote type="cite">Let us raise our glasses to the President of
the Republic of India, His Excellency Rajendra Prasad, to the
prosperity of India, to the fraternal friendship of the Soviet and
Indian peoples.<br>
Hindi Russi, bhai, bhai!</blockquote>
Speech at Moscow University, June 30, 1960<br>
<blockquote type="cite">May we be able to demonstrate in a practical
way that Russia and Hindi are Bhai Bhai.</blockquote>
<br>
Khrushchev's memoirs also contain references to the same slogan.<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://goo.gl/4ZuxO">http://goo.gl/4ZuxO</a><br>
<blockquote type="cite">The public reacted ecstatically to all the
speeches, especially when the friendship between our peoples was
mentioned. There and everywhere in India the slogan was repeated:
<i>Hindi, Russi, Bhai, Bhai!</i> ("Indians and Russians are
brothers.")</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
Early in the modern Sino-Indian relations, there was a similar
slogan:<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_relations">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sino-Indian_relations</a><br>
<blockquote type="cite"> It is the popular perception that the catch
phrase of India's diplomacy with China in the 1950s was <i>Hindi-Chini
bhai-bhai</i>, which means, in <span class="mw-redirect">Hindi</span>,
"Indians and Chinese are brothers" but there is evidence to
suggest that <span class="mw-redirect">Nehru</span> did not trust
the Chinese at all.</blockquote>
<br>
Not only did Nehru not trust the Chinese, but by 1962 the two were
at war.<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://goo.gl/onSQd">http://goo.gl/onSQd</a><br>
The Tribune (India). March 3, 2012<br>
<blockquote type="cite">China has a strong expansionist policy. It
has already betrayed India's trust in 1962, when it befooled Nehru
with 'hindi-chini bhai bhai’ slogan and back-stabbed us to
illegally occupy large chunk of our territory.</blockquote>
<br>
Actually, the "Hindi-Russi Bhai-Bhai" chants started with the
Khrushchev and Bulganin visit in 1955<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://goo.gl/6YyLL">http://goo.gl/6YyLL</a><br>
India and the Russian Visitors<br>
Geoffrey Tyson<br>
International Affairs (Royal Institute of International Affairs
1944-)<br>
Vol. 32, No. 2 (Apr., 1956), pp. 173-180<br>
<blockquote type="cite">Throughout they used the formal Indian
salutation--the <i>namaste</i> with folded hands. Language, of
course, was always a great difficulty though professional
philologists will be surprised to learn that, as the tour
progressed, Mr. Kruschev discovered a close affinity between the
Russian tongue and Sanskrit. However, in point of fact, the slogan
'Hindu-Russi, Bhai! Bhai!' was as near as they ever got to
addressing the multitude in their own tongue. But, to be fair,
when thy did use this slogan it drew cries of approbation from the
crowds who gathered to welcome them. An Indian friend said to me
that was something we reserved and phlegmatic British could never
do. I was compelled to agree; but I refrained from pointing out
that any sentence of more than five words that required to be
communicated either way had to be reduced to the common
denominator provided by the English language.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://goo.gl/8NfNB">http://goo.gl/8NfNB</a><br>
Time. December 12, 1955<br>
COMMUNISTS: Bhai Bhai in India<br>
<blockquote type="cite">At the intersection of two of Calcutta's big
streets, the Russians waved their straw hats, and Khrushchev cried
out in their own language: "Hindi Russi bhai bhai!" (Indians,
Russians, brothers, brothers!). Instantly the crowd burst forward,
shattering police lines and bamboo barricades to swarm over the
car.</blockquote>
<br>
The only on-line entry for "bhai-bhai" is in Wikipedia, for a 1970
Bollywood film by that name. I do not recall Hindi-Bushie Bhai Bhai
when W was looking forward to eating Indian mangoes.<br>
<br>
Note that, although "bhai" (however spelled) means "brother", the
two uses noted in various sources are 1) a formal Sikh title or form
of address and 2) the mob title equivalent to "don" or perhaps "made
man" (or "vory v zakone") in Mumbai. The latter meaning now gets
extended to any form of political or otherwise corrupt "protection"
in Mumbai.<br>
<br>
VS-)<br>
</body>
</html>
------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org