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| Call it the winter chill or the year-end festive mood or creativity at its funniest, best but slogans written behind trucks and lorries seem to have progressed beyond "Buri nazar wale tera moonh kala.” There are new slogans, heavily laced with satire and some with definite political overtones. A truck carried with it a slogan that said, ‘Jai Jai Shiv Shanker, Traffic Zara Kum Kar’, (Oh God please reduce traffic) – a clear attack on the worsening traffic situation in various cities of Uttar Pradesh. “Tees saal ki umar ho gayi, tooti tooti kamar ho gayi/ na naukri, na chokhri, na gadi na ghar, kab umar aayi aur gayi.” The slogans echoed the problem of unemployment. A poetic slogan said: “Safar lamba hai to suffer karna bhi lamba hoga/ zibndagi nahi to zindagi ka rona hoga.” A truck prominently displayed a warning: “Aashiq mehenga hai, paisa mangta hai/ Ishq sasta hai, tumhari jaan mangta hai.” Guddu Aslam, a truck driver from Sultanpur, said: “Old slogans have become repetitive and boring. Young transporters encourage us to opt for better ‘shaiyri’ so that people can have a laugh and even remember it.” Another catchy slogan with word of advice says: “Keechad mein pair rakhogi to dhona padega/ driver se shadi karogi to rona padega.” Another warned those insisting on overtaking vehicles with the slogan “Dum hai to cross kar, nahin to bardhasht kar.” One truck had an advice for parents: “Bete ko zindagi do magar bike nahi/ beti ko shiksha do magar mobile nahin.” Some slogans on trucks also serve as advertising platforms. Sample this: “Laila ne kaha Majnu ke kaan mein/ chole khila do mujhe Sonu ki dukaan ke.” An interesting slogan written behind a lorry said: “Dhoop padi jab Heer par, pighal gaya shringar/ dekha chehra Heer ka, phir Ranjha hua faraar.” Interestingly, while the Uttar Pradesh government has come down heavily against vehicle owners who inscribe slogans on their vehicles or number plates, no such action has been initiated against owners of heavy transport so far and, therefore, these slogans continue to make journeys lively and interesting. |
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