Trust is Human Interactions and Real Conversations!

DrAgon Senses

Whole last night fire-crackers kept bursting in the neighbourhood. All in the name of veneration and reverence to the almighty. 

The sound of crackers was so loud that even after shutting all doors and windows, the loud blasts made it difficult for us to sleep, kept rudely waking us up in the middle of the night and many times startled kids out of sleep. And all this while I believed that loving the creation of the God is the best tribute to divine.

Surprisingly all this all this kept happening - uninhibited right under their nose of the law enforcing officers who had been specially deputed by the city administration to manage the festivities. 

Perhaps their 'eyes did not see' the hooligans running amok with the crackers in the dead of the night and their 'ears did not hear' the sounds!

Today morning, like everyday, I saw so many motorists jumping traffic lights, overtaking from the wrong side, driving on the wrong side of the road (to get that extra-bit of time advantage in a bid to beat the traffic) etc. But no one stopped them as they cause endless discomfort to rule-abiding people on the road and risked their as well as other's lives.

Perhaps the traffic cop's  'eyes did not see' them!

So many such things happen everyday that so many people 'cannot see' or 'do not hear' and we so many others have 'mouths that do not utter a word' against all these. For you should be afraid, very afraid in this nation - for opposing such acts; for speaking against may be dangerous.

(Dr. Agon) beats his hapless wife, shouts at his children, bullies the motorists on the road, back stabs his peers in office, flatters his boss and abuses his subordinates, everyday. But his 'conscience does not prick'. Perhaps it is the same (Dr. Agon) who bursts those crackers, jumped those traffic lights, eve teased the girls and women on the road. 

And our 'eyes did not see', 'ears did not hear', 'mouths did not speak' and 'conscience did not prick'. 

Do we choose this world? Wonder...

 

Cleanliness is a Mindset!

Another 'hatchback' in front of my car... today morning held familiar sights of traffic and the calisthenics on road. No need or scope to overtake the car in front of me, I kept tailing the same. Suddenly, came flying the banana peels out of the window. So it must be breakfast in the car! No wonder, busy life in a bustling metro would leave no time for food. Only problem, human beings are not expected to behave like the wild and untamed. Banana peels thrown by the 'patrons' inside the car further contributes to the growing filth and nonsense on the road.

Much to the contrary of Clean India Campaign launched by the PM, everything seems to be going much like before. People are shamelessly littering public places, throwing paper, fruit peels and other dirt missiles out of buses, cars and trucks. It must be a familiar sight for many to see your neighbour stealthily emptying their dustbin at the corner of the lane or street in the wee hours of the morning. And the happiness on their face after doing that is so immeasurable. Mission accomplished!!

Sweeping it under the rug?

The Clean India campaign has been interpreted mostly in the manner that defies logic. Apparently we are supposed to visit various localities, take a broom in our hand and start cleaning-up the city. Well, then what would all the staff recruited by the city municipal corporations do? They are sure to enjoy this and get paid with no work for them - this time publicly mandated. Many school kids, office staffs have been directed to compulsorily sweep dirty localities. Frankly, nothing has changed on the ground. In one case, one school kid that I know from a city in the western part of India contracted a lung infection because of this cleanliness drive.

Do I have an ego issue in donning a broom. No, that would be completely incorrectly interpreting this article. Its not that. We as citizens are definitely responsible for keeping our surrounding clean. However cleanliness like the current drive suggests is not doing taking-up someone else's job. 

Cleanliness is in the mindset.

I have often wondered does it cost too much to keep our place clean. Yesterday, passing by a humble eatery I noticed how the plastic chairs, floor, the plastic water jug kept on the table were all unclean. A simple wipe of the cloth everyday would have been enough to keep them tidy. The curtain hiding kitchen was half pulled away. The walls were donning black oil & spice smudges and blotches. Would that cost a lot of money to keep the walls clean?

You go to even happening street in Bangalore like M.G. Road, Church Street etc. and it will be no wonder to find a unnoticed burst sewage pipe oozing out black smelly water spreading over the lane making it difficult for pedestrians to walk or watching so called educated, rich people throwing around waste unabashedly on the roads. 

Despite all this filth around, you can see people standing and enjoying 'gol-gappas', 'chat' and other foody delights on roadside. I cannot imagine how people even feel like eating with all the litter and smell around. May be there is something wrong with me. I guess. I  and people like me will be told the same thing in this country. 

It's all in the mindset. Do we really love cleanliness?

Why go far? Personal hygiene is not of very high standards in this country. Barring few, others seem to enjoy remaining untidy. And when I say this, I am not even being critical! On a lighter note, it is interesting to note that between 2009 and 2014, the market size of deos jumped from Rs 500 crore to Rs 2,300 crore in India.

Years back in 2011, much before this campaign was launched I had mentioned this mindset in my blog ( read - Clean Homes, Dirty Streets).

The key to keep India  clean is to change this mindset of the majority. That will take much more intense effort than the cosmetic acts, that at best are good photo-ops. Remember the age old adage - Charity (we can change this to Cleanliness) begins at home!

Will that happen? Are we serious? I am unsure. I reckon till then we have to keep-up with banana peels.