It is so delightful, that it diminishes the monotony of a long drive, changes the mindset of the driver and helps to put him in a remarkably comfortable disposition.
Some of the slogans are so hilarious that they make you laugh, elevates your jovial mood and energizes you instantly for a further long drive.
However some are so thought provoking that they make you contemplate to seriously think about the message they convey.
One such one-liner ‘Shikel to Tikel’ meaning ‘Only the Educated will survive’ brings awareness amongst commoners regarding the importance of education particularly in rural areas. In Goa slogan writing is restricted to only a few One Liners like ‘Dev Borem Korum’ or ‘God Bless You’. But as you cross the borders and reach Sawantawadi, Kudal etc. very common one-liners come across are ‘Tatya Dada Tuza ashirwaad’. Through this the owner of the vehicle exhibits his sense of gratitude towards the one who has helped him financially to procure the vehicle.
Slogan writers take pretty long time to coin the phrases as they have to send the right message to the public. However they are taken aback by the less literature persons who mock their very slogan without changing the format of the sentence in such a way that it appears to send totally opposite meaning. The famous family planning slogan “Ek ya do, baas! was presented in its new form as “Ek ya do … Baas?. By changing the exclamation mark to a question mark changed the total meaning. How Brilliant.
If you come across slogans like “Don’t honk loudly. We won’t stay here permanently “. ‘Words are weapons use them cautiously’, be sure that you are in Pune.
In Delhi, Rajasthan however the style is different. The slogans we come across here are “Buree nazar wale tera muh kala “meaning “He who casts an Evil Eye will have his Face Blackened”. ‘Meri chali toh teri kyon jali’ meaning “If I am prosperous why are you jealous. “
‘Latak maat patak dungi’. It so happens that the pedestrians in villages in order to save the trouble of walking hang on to the rear portion of slow moving trucks. The driver warns them “If you hang, you will be dropped with a bang”.
Although Slogan writing is common in India, it is not so in other parts of the world. However a friend of mine told me, once in Atlanta he happened to see an amusing bumper sticker at the back of the car, “ Caution – keep back, I drive like your wife! “. In another incidence he saw a couple of stickers on drunken driving “Cars and Bars means Stars and Scars! “Boozers are Loosers“.
One- liners sometimes make an ever lasting impression on the minds of the people. Once an elderly scooterist was knocked down by a slow moving truck. Soon he was taken to a nearby doctor and after a preliminary first Aid he was discharged . But from that day onwards he was reluctant to step out of the house. When asked what was the reason he exclaimed “While falling I happened to read the one-liner on the truck. It was “Phir Milenge“, “Will meet again”!
