‘Fine’-tuning our streets…

Two years ago, an incident happened. The Aleppey-Dhanbad express was making one of its routine journeys. An Indian youth in his early 20s was seated just opposite an elderly foreign national (who later introduced himself as a French tutor in one of the schools in Trivandrum district in Kerala). The young man was about to throw an empty plastic water bottle out of the window. Seeing this, the French gentleman cordially got hold of the youngster’s hands and said in a sporty tone ‘’Please… don’t throw it out, there are enough bottles out there already’’

On Independence and Republic days, our leaders boast about the giant economic leaps we make, city-dwelling hypocrites amongst us sigh in satisfaction at the skyscrapers that sprout up all around. Collectively, we look at the western world with an attitude that says - 'we are coming!’ It’s time to regret this line of thinking. Sure we don’t need to be colonial loyalists anymore but can we afford to turn our backs to our own dark and dirty attitudes? Have a look at the pathetic state of our streets and say if it reflects a 3% growth, let alone 6%?

Contrasting attitudes

In Britain and most of Europe, litter boxes take positions at street sides gobbling up all the wastes. On all high streets, the gaps between two litter boxes is, say, 10-15 meters. Individuals take care to see that their used up snack packs fall right into the bins and 'not anywhere near them'. Many a time one come across people - be it youngsters on a roll or an office executive rushing to work – prudently ensuring that they deposit their chips packet in the litter box and not throwing it elsewhere. Even if there are any, the council cleaners will ensure its removal before next dawn. In India garbage bins are left unattended for weeks, only for the scavengers to make merry and emit deadly scents and viruses. In little Glasgow, even in the dead of the night, one was often humbled to see the enthusiastic city council cleaners working relentlessly to empty the litter boxes and speed-wash the streets, preparing their sweetheart city for the next day. A signboard here and there reads - 'make your city clean'. It was agonizing then to compare our own attitudes back home.

Nishad Paul, a Senior Software Architect who had official stints in various American and European cities wonders if we, as Indians, will ever feel any embarrassment in being publicly irresponsible. ‘’ In the west, when someone throws a Pepsi can on to the sidewalks, the onlookers look at him with contempt. In Indian cities no one cares even if a dozen are thrown on the roads. ’’Says Nishad.We are proud countrymen who don't mind to vociferously spit in public and dumb our wastes at roadsides. Lack of public toilets had never been a cause of worry - roadsides will do. While traveling on the national highway, every now and then we come across our patriotic brothers shamelessly positioned against the walls of their own cities and happily answering the calls of nature. Such a disgrace!

It’s ironic that our ancestral roots are in direct line with the likes of the Ashokas and Chandraguptas. Kautilya's Arthashastra handed over fines to anyone who threw dirt on the streets - that was 2300 years ago when the Mauryan Empire flourished in India! In the 1930’s, a similar vision was shared by another man - our first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In one of the letters written to his beloved daughter Indu (Indira) from the Naini prison, he wondered if our municipalities would ever do something like what Kautilya suggested (Compiled in Glimpses of World History). Great thought; but for some strange reason, he himself didn’t implement what he once penned down. May be he simply forgot or he had to address larger issues.

Take the case of an Asian success story. The Island nation of Singapore secured Independence 18 years after we freed ourselves from the British. Its leaders had little hesitation in imposing a hefty fine on deviant citizens if they dared to make Singapore dirty. Today, their streets showcase their brand image – Brand Singapore! Back in the sub-continent, even in 2009, after 15 prime ministers and 62 years of independence the question is still relevant. If we are still waiting to see our people act responsibly by themselves, we become like Rip Van Winkle who slept and slept.

Being genuinely nationalistic

‘A change in attitude is the need of the hour’ - a phrase we are very fond of. But how? The work has to begin from our schools. Let our young minds be ignited with nationalistic pride at their tender age. As for the older generation, indoctrination doesn’t really help but fines, fines and only fines will do. Unless this change arrives, our towns and cities will still be dirty and ugly to the rest of the world. As for Danny Boyle, let’s give him a break. He didn’t really paint an impoverished India in Slumdog Millionaire, but we did, on our own streets.