I had wanted to write about this since a long time. But somehow or other couldn't. Before the election, Mint had carried an article about what an average voter is looking for in the new government.
I have always wondered why we Indians expect the government to do everything for us. We know our rights but conveniently forget about our duties.
We want better roads, better public transport, reduced traffic congestion and facility for pedestrians and cyclists on the road but we don't bother about being disciplined while we are on the roads. We honk when the car in front of us doesn't move within a millisecond of the signal going green. We walk on the road abandoning the footpath. When we use the footpath and see someone we know we stop right in the middle of the footpath and merrily go about chatting. We run in front of the speeding cars to cross the road as if our lives depend on it. We take our cars to office instead of using a car pool. And we don't ever stop to think about the fact that better roads will do precious little if we don't use them in a disciplined manner.
We want better garbage collection but we don't want to waste our time in segregating wet and dry garbage. Hell, we don't think twice about throwing the ticket on the road as soon as we get off the bus. We do our daily pooja and throw the flowers we deck the Gods with into the ocean the next day. It doesn't occur to us that the ocean chucks it right back at us. We are least bothered about our dirty beaches but we want better garbage collection. Composting? What is that?
The next one? Lower food prices for consumers. Just take a look at the amount of food wasted in the wedding buffets. Agreed that it has got nothing to do with lower food prices but my point is that we just don't realize what a crime it is to waste food. It is our duty to see to it that it doesn't go to waste. Yet, no one seems to care.
Better law and order, policing, security for women etc? There are two things that we can definitely do here - one, make sure we don't tolerate any behavior insulting women as far as our social circle goes and two, if we see any such incident in public we step forward to do the needful. I agree that it is dangerous for one person to confront the culprit but there is strength in numbers and we must use it. The cops cannot be everywhere. We have to do our bit.
And everyone's favorite topic - eradication of corruption. This, like charity, has to begin at home. If you are at fault, like for example jumping a red signal, pay the fine the legal way. Stop bribing the cop. If 10 people refuse to bribe the cop, he is unlikely to ask the 11th guy for it.
There is lot we can do but the million Dollar (or is it Rupee?) question is do we want to? :-(
I have always wondered why we Indians expect the government to do everything for us. We know our rights but conveniently forget about our duties.
We want better roads, better public transport, reduced traffic congestion and facility for pedestrians and cyclists on the road but we don't bother about being disciplined while we are on the roads. We honk when the car in front of us doesn't move within a millisecond of the signal going green. We walk on the road abandoning the footpath. When we use the footpath and see someone we know we stop right in the middle of the footpath and merrily go about chatting. We run in front of the speeding cars to cross the road as if our lives depend on it. We take our cars to office instead of using a car pool. And we don't ever stop to think about the fact that better roads will do precious little if we don't use them in a disciplined manner.
We want better garbage collection but we don't want to waste our time in segregating wet and dry garbage. Hell, we don't think twice about throwing the ticket on the road as soon as we get off the bus. We do our daily pooja and throw the flowers we deck the Gods with into the ocean the next day. It doesn't occur to us that the ocean chucks it right back at us. We are least bothered about our dirty beaches but we want better garbage collection. Composting? What is that?
The next one? Lower food prices for consumers. Just take a look at the amount of food wasted in the wedding buffets. Agreed that it has got nothing to do with lower food prices but my point is that we just don't realize what a crime it is to waste food. It is our duty to see to it that it doesn't go to waste. Yet, no one seems to care.
Better law and order, policing, security for women etc? There are two things that we can definitely do here - one, make sure we don't tolerate any behavior insulting women as far as our social circle goes and two, if we see any such incident in public we step forward to do the needful. I agree that it is dangerous for one person to confront the culprit but there is strength in numbers and we must use it. The cops cannot be everywhere. We have to do our bit.
And everyone's favorite topic - eradication of corruption. This, like charity, has to begin at home. If you are at fault, like for example jumping a red signal, pay the fine the legal way. Stop bribing the cop. If 10 people refuse to bribe the cop, he is unlikely to ask the 11th guy for it.
There is lot we can do but the million Dollar (or is it Rupee?) question is do we want to? :-(
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