The root of most violent acts can be attributed to one fundamental flaw in society- the lack of civic sense. Having lived abroad for the last 17 years, I would only hear snippets of news stories from India, of women being raped or men being stoned to death. The media would label it an act of racism or objectification, sparking riots across the country. Yet simply putting a person in bars provides no assurance the act won’t occur again. Instead, the root of the issue must be traced and campaigns to increase awareness must be established. I have found that India is working towards this, yet has room for improvement.
When I walk along the streets of India I see two extremes of the civil sense spectrum. On one end, I see a young man aiding an elderly woman carry her groceries as she crosses the busy streets. On the other hand, men catcall a woman half their age, as she walks home, her fingers poised on the speed dial of her phone to call for help. The root of this conflict, in my opinion, is the distortion of the expectations applied to a society. We need to live in a world where chivalry, rather than wealth or status, is a better indication of a respectable person. Once this fundamental ideology is implemented, those who strive to gain a better status will attempt to be better contribution to society.
While attitudes towards other people are not the only representation of civic sense, the consequences of the lack of respect between the population encourages further destructive behavior such as vandalism and littering. From merely visiting India twice a year, I witness these events on a daily basis. Some might argue this is has nothing to do with civil sense and simply laziness or aggression. Yet it must be considered that these acts of defacing the environment are an just indirect form of the absence of civility and lack of respect for the environment we live in. By defacing the walls of the city or blocking the sewage systems with plastic bags and wrappers, we are allowing our society to be abused and be misrepresented and to an extent that it forces everyone in the area to experience the destruction and suffer the consequences of someone else’s actions. India is filled with stunning landmarks and is known for its authenticity yet to preserve this, we need to reinforce civic sense before we are better known for cultivating the largest garbage dump instead of home to the stunning Taj Mahal.
Of course, this issue cannot be resolved overnight, but a simple act can make a significant difference. Spread the positive vibes, share your appreciation to the people around you. You’d be surprised how a simple “Thank You”, or Good Job can turn someone’s day around. The more strangers you can approach with this attitude the faster the word gets around and before you know it, you have set ablaze a forest fire of gratitude.
devikanam98 