GAPPI VERSUS PAPPI

Channi, Pappi, Rinku, Tinu, Bittu, Babbu, Bobby— cutting across party lines, regions and caste segments, catchy aliases are in the Lok Sabha fray from Punjab.

Whether as a pet name given by the family or as a nickname coined by a peer group, having an alternative name is common practice in this border state. In the past decade, however, these endearing names, once confined to intimate circles, have made their way into political campaign material and even election affidavits and on electronic voting machines.