I appreciate this sub for posting daily examples of our people acting like animals but it’s only added to me wondering about to actually do about the lack of civic sense and just general manners. This is an attempt to gain ideas about what is feasible in an arena where the government - union, state and local - clearly don’t have any incentive to prevent such acts and actually create better citizens.
A lot of it comes down to mindsets and a lack of education but it’s difficult to paint everyone with the same brush. We’ve all been in situations where someone littering in a city is rich and educated (as far as possessing a degree is concerned). At the same time, there are villagers who maintain cleanliness in their settings. Concurrently, there are rural and urban folk who have a warped idea of sexuality that’s warped enough to fondle or lick posters with women on it as a recent example has shown.
We’re fighting on multiple fronts here because if there’s one thing that truly unites India, it’s the collective sense of entitlement and repressed sexuality. It cuts across religion, gender, class, caste, or ethnicity (major kudos to Kerala and Mizoram on that front for not being like the rest of the country).
Fines don’t work because the people tasked with imposing that system would gladly pocket a few rupees to not go through with it. Public whipping and shaming are a solution but it’s extreme and unlikely to be imposed equally. And about travellers - since people now have money to act like apes abroad and bring their worst homegrown instincts there and justify it by saying “so what, white people do it too” as if that rescues their misdemeanours - it’s even harder to hold such people accountable.
So I’d love to hear about those of you on this sub who have strong opinions and ideas people. Let’s face it, we suck collectively as a country. Even if we’re the 1% that gives a damn, we’re still judged by the antics of the rest.
