Why I use “ji”after names ?

Many of you might have noticed that I use ‘ji’ at the end of names frequently. Last days I was questioned from my respected Sinha sir that why I should use them for younger bloggers. His question was obviously correct. Using the suffix ‘ji’ is a way for some elder’s name to show the respect for the person. This tradition exists in Hindi speaking regions of India. In the Maithil culture of Bihar and UP too the younger person’s name is added with ‘ji’. Many of the other cultured families shall use this suffix also after the name of a younger too. In the Bengali culture, daughters are called as Ma (mother) and sons as babu or baba (father). In addition there are other words too for respect.

To give him the reason for this need, I showed him many of my inbox mails which were missing either salutation or their own name at last and in some cases both were missing. Best thing I showed him was that the letters coming from the foreign countries had mostly the proper format. Where as most of the Indian senders did not feel the need of these formalities. That was the objective nature of the people. The information revolution has taken place. My contemporary net users must be using e-mails; many of them might have forgotten how a postcard of 50 paisa appears. Even if the emails are too fast to be compared with the conventional snail mail, the basic structure need not be lost. The emails itself have made our life easy to write and send, and in return we have turned as careless. Earlier during the school days, I have been taught that there are separate marks for each component of a letter given in the exam paper. Need not to repeat, I never miss these student life lessons in the cyber age too. Sir affirmed, when I saw him the letters of his other students too.

Now coming back to blogs, next thing I told him that the virtual world is too dry to spend on it. People are highly self-centric. The concern for the person sitting at the other end is missing. Sometimes the comments given by the people will be simply useless. Even if they have some use they are again dry pixels only. Every creature likes to get respected. Every person likes his name get called. I mix up name and respect symbol 'ji' to remove the dryness of the net. Sometimes I use the parallel suffix like babu, bhai, da too. I am searching the person who will scold me back for my new found habit.

For the last 8 years, in contact with the internet, I saw it as the virtual mirror image of real world rather than virtual world. It has been the integral part of the life at least for me. The net is my learning and communicating place. Many of us spend our considerable hours on it. Why to miss the real world faith and respect here. My presence as my post or comment, as not being anonymous here is again like my mirror presence. I agree that the sense of elder or younger is lost in the English bloggers community. But instead of equaling everyone or making them younger, I shall prefer to respect a blogger; even if he is of half of my age.

Last but not least this habit of mine is a big bouquet I got from my Hindi bloggers and I use the flowers of the bouquet to return back to all Indians who are on net. When I don’t use it some where knowingly, I spread more respect in the content. After all to whom I communicate, I keep enough share of time for them to type few more alphabets. In other words, I try to sprinkle dew drops in this vast dessert of affection. I am a proud owner of few alphabets to give if not a great thing to my readers and whose blogs I enjoy to read.

Respected Sinha sir was silently staring towards me.