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Tuesday, April 10, 2012

How can we be a developed country?

It happened yesterday morning.

A brand new Honda City stopped beside a traffic island. An young copule were inside, apparently going to a wedding or some function, because they were dressed very brightly. Her phone was glued to her ear - maybe she was asking for directions. He looked bored to death.

Suddenly, the window pane came down. She tossed out a polybag containing some garbage casually, without noticing where it went. It landed right in the middle of the walkway. I was approaching from the opposite direction; I was so shocked that I stopped in front of the car, giving them critical looks.

I had just finished a call and was still holding my cellphone. I pulled it out and pretended to take a snap. She got out of the car and asked me what was wrong!! (Imagine!!) ....Of course, she could follow my line of sight and knew what was not ok. Her companion had started the car by then, so she jumped back and they left without any further word or action.

If the educated and rich behave like this, how can we expect more civil behaviour from others?

Its time for some introspection... take a look at ourselves and wonder if we are fulfilling our roles as responsible citizens. How can we condemn others? Its not as if others should behave properly while we can do whatever we criticize them for doing.

There are so many similar things that we do, knowing fully well that we shouldn't be doing them.

CHANGE...or we shall always remain a "developing" nation, instead of a "developed" one.

___
This is a part of contest titled "Time to Change!" on Indiblogger.

28 comments:

My Unfinished Life said...

you have written something very close to my heart....people(most of them well off!!) lament about the country being not able to develop....and then they go ahead and do such stuff!!...

http://sushmita-smile.blogspot.in/

Red said...

:( there is no civic sense at all, here where I live recycling is big and we do pick up trash whether ours or not.

I admire your courage in calling them out Anupama

R. Ramesh said...

anupamaji...thanks for yr kind words yar..really touched..am back in shj..wil stay connected..when r u guys visiting dubai? tc..

R. Ramesh said...

hey thanks yar..wrote a comment here..not sure whether posted..tc..my very dear friend..

everythinginmymind said...

the problem is with educated people only...they think they are masters of the world...
uneducated people follow the instructions given to them either out of fear or innocence...
i remember going for a holiday ride on godavari river...its a big house boat...i've seen people throwing plastic water bottles and covers in the river...its absurd!

Anupama K. Mazumder said...

@Star,
The most amazing paradox we come across!!

@Chick,
Wow, we should follow you!! Doing such things.. Indians cannot even imagine!

@Ramesh,
Not sure when we can make it.. but whenever we do, we shall surely inform you!!! Any plans to come to Delhi?

And yes, all your comments have been posted successfully!!

@Hari,
I dont know how people forget all that was taught in schools... and apparently, we teach the same values to our children.. and do away with them at the earliest opportunity!!!

AmitAag said...

Very well written Anupama!...and yes, all the best for the contest!

P.N. Subramanian said...

Just lack of civic sense. Next time probably she will remember your stare or atleast look around to see some one is not looking at!

Anupama K. Mazumder said...

@Amit,
Thanks a lot.

@Mr Subramanian,
I feel the need of a revolution: otherwise can we go around correcting each defaulter? We have to rise as a society.

Anupama K. Mazumder said...

@ Hari,
Do you have a blog? I couldn't reach it.

Saru Singhal said...

To do that crossover, we have to develop our morals. Nicely written and all the best!

Unknown said...

this is so true and at times frustrating..i remeber once a friend of mine threw a bottle out of the car and i asked him to stop the car and went and pikd up the bottle to throw it in the dustbin and my friend said yaar whats the point roz suba jhaaru lagta hai..n my reaction was well roz suba jhaaru is there in urr house also so y dont u drop garbage there as well

Anonymous said...

Great post, I admire the writing style :) A little off topic here but what theme are you using? Looks pretty cool.

Anupama K. Mazumder said...

@Anonymous,
Thanks for appreciating my work and theme. The theme is a customized one, so I cant exactly tell you which one it is.

Ramakrishnan said...

The same set of "educated people" behave well & in a disciplined & cultured manner when they travel or live abroad. In India they misbehave like uncultured bumpkins: no sense of pride or ownership of our country - "My country or My India".
The Chalta hai attitude must go. The only way things can change is to catch the guy/gal who litters and send him/her to jail even if for one night. This might deter others from irresponsible behavior.

Haddock said...

I heard that one of the Bollywood actors (Aksay if I am not mistaken) had a similar experience and he got out of his car picked up the bottle (that was thrown out by the offender) and gave it back to the offender and asked him to throw it in a dustbin. The offender obliged maybe because he was corrected by an "actor"
And that wife talking on the mobile and husband with a bored look is such a common sight in India.

Sammy said...

Nicely written
Well done yaar..all the best.
Are Hijra's(TransGender) not a Human being.?

Anupama K. Mazumder said...

@Mr Ramakrishnan,
Most Indians need a regulatory element : if there is a threat of being punished or fined, they would behave. For example, people behave in metro stations which is under CCTV surveillance.

@Haddock,
A TV campaign was also designed once on similar lines, but somehow, people refuse to learn!

@Sammy,
Thanks dear. I was moved by your work.

Anupama K. Mazumder said...

@Saru,
We have to take the onus on ourselves to teach each other, maybe.

@Alka,
Way to go, girl! Yes, they may be sweeping roads everyday, but only once in a day afterall.. till then the waste thrown by you would remain there, cause inconvenience to others, and what not... I wish people would change their attitude.

Friend said...

hi, have noticed this happen a lot. The difference is people need rules, in abroad if you have done something wrong they find you to fine you. Unless spot fines at every corner is not levied most people will not care.

Ash said...

Good post. Some people innately lack civic sense, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated...

Anupama K. Mazumder said...

@Friend,
Yes, I feel common people should be empowered to publicly condemn someone who behaves like this. I feel so sick when I see people throwing stuff like orange peels from car windows while travelling... who are you leaving the trail for?

@Ash,
Honestly!!

Sarita said...

Absolutely agree on this. I faced a similar situation in 2005 - only this time the discarded item was the cover of a granola bar and the culprit was a most probably an 'US' or 'UK' returned IT professional, who yelled at me in his 'Americanized' accent when I tried to stop him. I am sure, this 'globalized' citizen would not have dared imagine such acts in any other part of the globe!!

Anupama K. Mazumder said...

@ Sarita,
He yelled at you? How could he?

vasrao@gmail.com said...

We behave with lots of civic sense when we are abroad .We act in the most slip shod manner in our own nation, so that we can pass the buck.We must remember, that the buck stops with us.

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