New Delhi: ‘Opposition leaders had gone’MIA‘. ‘FOMO‘Perhaps this explains why he went and sat outside the Prime Minister’s residence.’ These are the words of 69-year-old Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who was addressing the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.Until recently, these terms belonged to Instagram comment sections, meme pages, K-pop fan communities, and WhatsApp chats. However, this week, they echoed in the halls of Parliament. During the monsoon session, MPs used Gen Z slang and Internet catchphrases in their speeches while attacking political rivals, discussing governance and framing arguments on issues ranging from education to development.BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj defended the Centre’s policies and urged the opposition tolook at this” – a Gen Z phrase meaning to recognize or accept something. “Where the Congress created a policy vacuum, Modi took it away, if I can borrow the language of Gen Z, and devised a solution. The opposition merely pursued political opportunism,” she said, while clearly admitting that she was borrowing from the vocabulary of the younger generation.BJP’s Tejasvi Surya called out the opposition for another popular internet expression.delulu“—short for “illusory”—suggested that its criticism of the government was detached from reality.Congress MP Deepender Hooda also did not lag behind during the debate on anti-paper leak issue in the Lok Sabha.kuchu puchu‘ and viral internet catchphrases “Wasteguna Huiya“In a swipe at the center.”Today is my birthday so please resign at least a little. (Today is my birthday, so cutie pie please resign),” he commented, citing examples of slogans in recent student protests.Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Eknath Shinde termed the opposition as “victims”.FOMO” – “Fear of getting lost” – and even its description “MIA(Missing in Action), which means the opposition is struggling to remain politically relevant after missing important opportunities.It was an unusual moment.As HUDA said, GenZ, which had Bhagat Singh’s ‘Inquilab Zindabad’ slogan, changed it to ‘Vastagun Hua’ while protesting against the government.Parliament, traditionally associated with constitutional language, Hindi idioms and literary references, suddenly started looking like an Instagram comment thread.
What do these words mean and where do they come from
The Internet has a way of spreading words across continents, cultures, and generations. Many of the expressions that now dominate Gen Z conversations originated in niche online communities long before they entered mainstream discourse.
watch it
Unlike many Internet expressions, “Clock It” has a much older cultural lineage. The phrase traces its roots to African-American and LGBTQ+ ballroom culture in the United States, where to “clock out” someone means to notice, recognize, or call out something—often a flaw or inconsistency.Popularized through drag culture and shows like RuPaul’s Drag RaceThe expression later moved to TikTok and Instagram, where Gen Z adopted it as “knowing the truth” or “telling it like it is.”
Wasteguna Huiya
The phrase has its roots in the viral meme “Can I get a hoya?” In which a teenager shouted this line in an exaggerated voice. In India, content creators gave a local twist to the meme by replacing the original phrase with the nonsense-sounding “Vasteguna Huiya”.The humor is not in the words—they have no literal meaning—but in the confused reactions they elicit. From there, the phrase quickly spread across Instagram memes, Reels and comment sections before appearing at the CJP student protests.
kuchu puchu
“Cuchu Puchu” has no single, traceable origin like “Delulu” or “FOMO”. Instead, it evolved naturally from baby talk, a simple, affectionate style of speech used by parents, grandparents, and couples in many Indian languages.It is believed that this phrase is a playful form of words like “cuchi cuchi,” “guchu puchu,” “cuchi poo” and similar rhyming expressions that mimic the sounds made by children. Such repetitive words are common in Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, and many other Indian languages, where they are used as words of endearment for children, pets, or romantic partners.In recent years, “cuchu puchu” was revived and popularized by Instagram reels, YouTube shorts, and meme pages, where it took on a new, often sarcastic meaning. Calling someone “cuchu puchu” can mean that they are overly pampered, nurtured, innocent, or treated with extreme affection.Its popularity increased during the CJP-led student protests, where protesters and social media users used “Cuchu Puchu” sarcastically to poke fun at political leaders and institutions.
FOMO
Unlike most Gen Z slang, FOMO predates social media. This acronym, meaning “Fear of Missing Out”, entered the popular lexicon in the early 2000s as psychologists and marketers described the anxiety that people felt when they thought other people were enjoying experiences they were not a part of.Instagram amplified this phenomenon, turning FOMO into one of the defining emotions of the social media age. Today, the term is used far beyond personal lives – to describe everything from investment trends to political strategy.
MIA
Originally a military acronym for “Missing in Action”, MIA has been reused by Internet users to describe people who suddenly disappear from conversations, social media, or public life.
delulu
Perhaps the most recognizable Gen Z word today, “delulu” is a shortened version of “delusion.” It first gained popularity among K-pop fans, where dedicated fans jokingly described unrealistic fantasies – such as believing that their favorite idol was secretly in love with them – as “Delulu”.Over time, the term evolved beyond fantasy culture to describe someone who is perceived as extremely optimistic or detached from reality. Today, it has become a staple of political banter, where opponents routinely accuse each other of being “confused”.
Why does Gen Z language matter?
The timing of Parliament’s linguistic change is not accidental.The recent protests led by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) over the NEET exam paper leak were held on the streets as well as on Instagram and Facebook. Protestors used memes, short videos, viral hashtags and internet humor to unite students and simplify complex issues related to exam reforms.For many young Indians, politics is now consumed through Instagram reels, YouTube shorts and meme pages rather than long parliamentary speeches or television debates. Viral clips often have a greater impact than hour-long discussions.Taking note of this after huge protests, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also advised his Cabinet to connect with the youth on Instagram through reels and interactive sessions. “Young people are just on Instagram. This is a potential segment of citizens that we all need to connect with,” he said.
India’s demographic profile makes this change even more significant. With one of the world’s youngest populations and millions of first-time voters voting every election cycle, speaking the language of youth has become a communication style as well as a political strategy.
Parliament has always borrowed popular language
Although Gen Z’s abuses in Parliament may seem dramatic, Parliament has always reflected the language of its times.These lines were often quoted in speeches in the early decades after independence Bhagavad GitaCouplets of poets like Mirza Ghalib, Allama Iqbal. Hindi literary works were seen as a mark of oratorical skill.Long before MPs started saying “Delulu” or “Clock It”, Parliament had adopted the language of popular culture. Bollywood dialogues have long been used to simplify political arguments, infuse humor, and create memorable soundscapes.Rahul Gandhi’s sarcasm by calling GST the “Gabbar Singh Tax” turned a complex debate on GST into an instantly understood phrase across India, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi invoked Sholay’s character “Aunty” to mock the Congress party during his address to Parliament on July 2, 2024. He teased the opposition over his election defeat by mimicking a dialogue: “Hey aunty, we have lost for the third time, but it is a moral victory isn’t it?(Oh aunty, we have lost for the third time too, but it is a moral victory, isn’t it?) In another example, BJP MP Kangana Ranaut brought out DDLJ’s iconic dialogue.Go Simran, complete your life‘For Life’ while addressing the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. Cricket metaphors soon began to arrive, including terms such as “hitting a six”, “playing on the backfoot” or being “clean bowled” by the opposition. Finance ministers have described budgets as “innings”, while electoral victories and defeats have been routinely presented as cricket matches.In many ways, Gen Z slang is the latest chapter in this evolution. Parliament never existed in a linguistic vacuum; It has always assimilated the languages spoken beyond its walls.
language continues to evolve
Every generation believes that the next’s vocabulary sounds strange.Terms like “cool”, “awesome”, “dude” and “LOL” were dismissed as youth fads before they became mainstream. Today’s Internet dictionary follows the same trajectory.Many Gen Z expressions have come a remarkable distance before landing in the Indian political discussion – from Korean pop fans to American drag culture, from gaming communities to TikTok trends. His journey shows how digital platforms have accelerated the movement of language across borders and cultures.Not every slang word will survive. Internet terminology is evolving at a rapid pace, with new words replacing old ones every few months. But some expressions inevitably escape their online origins to become part of everyday speech.When lawmakers adopt them, it signals that the terms have become mainstream.When Bansuri Swaraj paused to say, “If I could borrow the language of Gen Z,” she acknowledged something bigger than a passing linguistic trend.Politics is no longer communicated only through ideological speeches or parliamentary rhetoric. It is increasingly competing with influencers, meme pages and viral videos in a similar digital ecosystem, where relativity often matters as much as rational argument.Whether this makes parliamentary debate more accessible or more performative remains debated. But one thing is clear: As India’s politics becomes increasingly digital, House is learning not just to talk to Gen Z, but to speak like Gen Z.
