There are some who claim that Indians are the most skillful car drivers in the world — coz they can chat on the phone, carry 8 passengers, eat food, sing songs, drive on the wrong side of the road etc — all at the same time! There are others who say that the traffic scene on Indian roads is all the proof one needs about the existence of God! But I foresee the day that foreign cars will be sold with a statutory warning — Don’t let the Indian drive!
For the purpose of motorized transport is to add convenience to life, to get you to places faster. But in the hands of our countrymen, it becomes yet another opportunity to show how even the apparently educated can flout every tenet of basic human decency and good citizenship. 90% of jams one sees on Indian roads are caused by people cutting into the wrong lane and pushing forward till they have choked up every possibility of free vehicular movement. The other 90% (yes, that’s how percentages work here as well!) are caused by flagrant disregard for any kind of safety norms — old, rickety vehicles, lack of signage, randomly dug-up roads, people and animals strolling across expressways; it’s an absolute wonder that there aren’t more fatalities every single minute!
This also throws up a broader issue, that of an utter lack of civic sense in the vast majority of our populace. Very rarely are we taught to respect private space and public property, and even the most rudimentary things like how to walk on a sidewalk or cross a road (and don’t even get me started on the cellphone issue!) are not part of our social consciousness. They say that China (and even Germany) progressed simply by providing better and better infrastructure, so that people grew accustomed to following the rules of the autobahns and skyscrapers as they were acutely conscious of the value addition it provided to their lives. There are some who feel that if we provide this level of infrastructure in India, then people will automatically become socially conscious and polite, and toe the line according to those structures.
I feel the problem has gone a bit deeper than that, and is only compounded by the inordinately large population we have. (Still, if China can do it…)
In fact, as my cousin in Singapore pointed out, the number of new mobile phone subscribers each year in India is equal to the entire population of Singapore. Govern that, dude! So we need to initiate a curriculum of teaching civic sense to every single child, rural or urban, from early childhood. Just as we have, in many places, established in their consciousness the value of education, of health, hygiene and sanitation, so must we now ingrain basic things like not spitting, crossing roads properly, not honking while driving, knocking before entering, asking people if they have a minute before launching a tirade on the cellphone, not talking SO FREAKIN LOUD in public places…well I could go on and each of you could supplement this list. Actually why don’t you do just that — please post comments specifying basic social courtesies and manners that all of us should follow — sort of like a wish list. And then we shall educate, agitate, elevate, and most of all, pray!!
vikram bhaiya this list could be endless. I feel we really need to buck up as we are lagging far behind as far civic manners are concerned, no matter if its gents or ladies. Few suggestions :-
– using the words like ‘excuse me’, ‘sorry’, ‘thank u’ etc
– proper parking
– throwing garbage inside of ‘use me’ rather than ouside
– how to use ‘public toilets’
– having some respect for women around
– follow do’s & dont’s at tourist places
– switch off mobile where not necessary(atleast mute) like hospitals, temples, cinema halls
– how to form a queue
– respect other people’s privacy
– how to use public properties & many more
the list seems endless
Jai Gurudev!
My wish list goes like this
Belching @ restaurants
Jumping lines @ temples
Creating cacophony at public places
Slow down @ zebra crossings
Spitting out of moving vehicles
Carrying eatables and bottled drinks inside sacred places
Sensible dressing
Playing cricket @ public roads
Honour the national flag
more to follow
JGD Bhaiyya,
The list is long, but the most irritating thing these days I find is honking
#1.) For no reason.
#2.) To intimidate other drivers.
#3.) At traffic lights where in, as soon as the light turns green, drivers honk at the exact time as though there is a timer link between the signal and the horn.
Bhaiyya, can we organize a no honking day in the major cities of the country?
Once its successful, we can then educate the people that its so much better to drive peacefully and silently.
Infact my friend was like, can’t we put up hand made sign boards all over the city creating awareness that honking is injurious to health.
Love & JGD,
Aditya
Vikramji,
Instead of saying what not to do, DO—
AOL PART-1 & PART 2 Course
One Advance Course per annum
‘Divya Samaj ka Nirman'(DSN) Course
Sahaj Samadhi Meditation Course
If one does all the above, the public around will be purified and more cultured.
SRINIVASAN
though most of us complain n crib but let’s discipline ourselves before pointing finger at others.And tht reminds me tht i crossed the red light today while driving to work…NO MORE BREAKING RULES FROM NOW ONWARDS!!!
Dear Vikram Bhaiya,
Thanks for bringing out an important topic.Etiquette can be taught..but is most effective when it is used with awareness and understanding.
On the Road:
1.Use blinkers while changing lanes
2.Use ‘Hands-free’ sets while driving.
3.While crossing-‘Look left, look right ,then look left again and when its safe to cross..go ahead and cross’.
4.Drive carefully, do not exceed speed limits.
5.Be aware of others’ faulty driving .
6.Get a Driving license the right way( don’t buy one!)
At public places:
1. Greet people with a greeting ..and a smile.
2. Have a pleasant smile on your face..it is very infectious
3.Be polite to those below you..eg street vendors..and be confident with those seemingly above you.
4.Discourage begging ( esp those who are not handicapped)
5.DO NOT SMOKE ..Even if you do..DO NOT SMOKE IN PUBLIC PLACES.
6.Do not spit out after chewing ‘pan’/betel leaves. ..if you see someone do so..go upto them and politely ask them to refrain from doing so..they can use the garbage bins /wash basins instead.
7.Do not pee in public places/along walls/lamp posts ..thats the privelege of canines!!
8.Share your public transport seat /give up your seat for the elderly, pregnant women,and mothers carrying little babies.
9.Maitain silence /speak softly in libraries/hospitals..especially in the inpatient wards/ corridors .
10.Use the telephone only when necessary and limit your talk to just the bare minimum ..time is precious!
11.Keep your eyes open ..for some ‘Random acts of kindness’ ..like helping someone carry a heavy load /help someone cross the road..etc.
12.Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze /cough../do so into the fold of your elbow/on your shoulder.
At home:
1. Obey and respect elders..greet them with reverence.
2.Use civic sense and do not blast you music .
3. Allot/indicate suitable parking when inviting guests so as not avoid inconveniencing neighbours.
4.RECYCLE–REUSE–paper, plastic, glass .
5.REDUCE use of water and electricity.
6.Use the stair case instead of the lift as far as possible.
7. Reduce use of ear plugs..increased use for > an hour results in a manifold increased risk of fungal infections in the ear .
8.Treat uninvited guests with respect..its considered they are equivalent to God..and not have a plastic smile superficially while you are boiling inside!!
Well that much for now!!
Time to educate/revive/relive /and as you rightly said..pray that civic sense seeps in slowly but surely.
Remember ‘The Secret’…
An eye opener article 🙂
You know i stopped honking and jumping red light after reading your post.. seriously.. Even my mom could see the change in me 🙂
But yeah, the traffic condition is pathetic in our country..and there is lot of work to be done is this regard.
Some basic social courtesies could be:
->not talking too loud in public
->no smoking in public
->no spitting
->respect to females, and elderly person. Giving them a place to seat in buses/trains and other public transports.
->stopping the usage of mobile phone inside religious places.
the most intolerable to me is people breaking queue and when reminded they are ready to bombard with senseless arguments. Dont know about other cities but Delhi horribly lacks sense of respecting one’s personal space, be it anywhere.
but still we can’t stop our quest to educate people about these basic values as together we stand as a country.
Nice post I could feel the amount of concern in the post!!
I feel very sad to say this…..but while reading the post i just kept thinking “If Indians lernt civic sense then India wont be ‘India’!!”(I know its a shame 🙁 )
Believe me Vikram,we were taught moral science right from std one but,at times,it does happen implementation fails 🙁
so i feel that school curriculum is not enough …stringent laws,punishments and fines can only make things better!
Guess this is where courses like Art EXCEL, YES, YESPLUS makes a large difference in our young minds
Whatever ….
I LOVE MY INDIA 🙂 🙂 🙂
Saket Kakkar
Thank you all. Let it not sound like I hv lost hope — in fact I remain quite optimistic about the situation, so far 🙂
JGD