When people talk about cleanliness of public spaces in India, civic sense or the lack of it is often quoted as one of the prime reasons for the squalor that we see all around us. Is it true that we Indians lack civic sense? If so what are the possible reasons for it? Do they apply to us all or certain groups amongst us? These are questions we need to explore as we try to find solutions to the mess we find ourselves in.
Civic sense is defined variously as the sense of community, individuals feel towards the communities they live in or a complex phenomenon encompassing an individual's perception of, attitude and feelings towards his or her community. It is wrong to say that Indians lack civic sense. After all the Indian population carried out the most revolutionary and largest manifestation of civic action in history during the mass movement for India's independence from colonial rule sixty-five years ago. The periodic Indian elections have shown that our people are quite capable of exercising their civic responsibilities when the need arises. Most recently we have seen it on the streets of New Delhi during the protests against the gang rape atrocity.
However, it is safe to say that we Indians seem to lack civic sense when it comes to cleanliness of our public spaces. If this is indeed true, why is it so? How are we different from other populations around the world that seem to have a better record when it comes to this crucial aspect of community? The answers are not simple, but need to be explored.
1. Selfishness and self-centredness
Not all Indians are self centred, but some certainly are. There is an ingrained tendency in us to put ourselves first over everyone else. There is nothing wrong in that, as it is after all a strategy for survival in a country with scarce resources. If we are to survive, we have to look after ourselves and ours first and not care about others. This attitude is most easily externalized when it comes to the upkeep of public spaces. We teach our children to succeed by thinking about themselves and themselves alone. It works well to compete for plum educational opportunities and jobs but does instill a sense of disdain for the rest of the population. This naturally manifests as a profound disregard for the space that others inhabit. It is easy to ignore the public space. The tendency is to get ahead individually at any cost. The cost of course is to the rest of society. As the economy improves and the nation's wealth increases this attitude might change. The need for such extreme selfishness might dissipate.
2.The public space as alien space
Although Indians are a very patriotic people and most would stand up for their country when the time comes, there is a curious lack of concern when it comes to public spaces. There is a tendency to treat the public space as alien and forbidding. It may have to do with the fragmentation of Indian society along community, caste, religious and linguistic lines. People want their off spring to be "pure" and not get contaminated by other folk. The modern Indian citizen will certainly dispute this, but a close examination of Indian society suggests that this is indeed true. By keeping the public space a scary and unwelcoming place, we discouraged our children from interacting with others whom we distrusted, feared or looked down upon. So we made it an unsafe and unclean place. Our children especially the female kind were discouraged to linger outside their homes. If the space outside the home was unsafe and unclean the traditional Indian secretly liked it. However this is surely going to change and is in fact changing fast. As more and more people, especially women venture outside their traditional enclaves in pursuit of wider educational and employment opportunities the classrooms and workplaces of our country are becoming less forbidding places. They will eventually foster a sense of wider community among our people and hopefully more civic sense.
3. Colonial influence
India was under European colonial rule wholly or in parts for roughly three centuries or more. Even before that, the rulers of many parts of India were alien conquerors. This might have affected the Indian psyche vis a vis its civic sense in more than one way.
a) Denigration by the rulers
Conquerors generally control a subjugated population by several means. Exercising brute force has always been the primary method. However other subtle methods have certainly contributed. One such method is to break the self-esteem of the population by destroying its belief in its values and traditions. By systemically devaluing a society repeatedly they portray themselves as the superior society. Macaulay's famous but erroneous assertion that the whole literature of India would barely fill a shelf is an example of this. Perceived deficiencies in the subjugated nation were highlighted and publicized. One such assertion was that the Indian was unclean. In time the Indian himself came to believe that he was unclean and unable to maintain the cleanliness of public spaces.This is particularly true of the generation that were born in the pre independence period. Everything that was clean and nice was from England and India was dirty. This is something the British instilled in the Indian mind and has persisted post independence.
b) Defiance to colonial rule
In conquered lands the public space belongs to the ruling power and not to the population as opposed to democracies or other forms of indigenous rule where there is a greater sense of ownership of the public space. In the years leading up to independence desecration of the public space may have been used as a tool to defy colonial British rule. However people like Mahatma Gandhi did bemoan the lack of civic sense in our people during the Indian Freedom Struggle.
That being said, we cannot blame our colonial past for every ill besetting our nation. It is time we moved on. It is time to show the world what we can be.
4. Poverty
Profound disparity does exist in our country when it comes to economic means. We do have a segment of the population that is extremely poor by any measure. It is difficult to preach cleanliness to people when they live in squalor because they cannot afford better. They live in the many slums that dot every city and town in our country.When their daily existence is a struggle and an eternal battle for survival, how could we expect them to be conscious of the cleanliness of their surroundings? We cannot wait for the trickle down from a burgeoning economy to take care of them. We need innovative and visionary programs to help them. Every society needs a social net. We have to build a robust one for the poor in India so that they do not languish in ever expanding and ever more congested slums.
5. Illiteracy and ignorance
Lack of proper education continues to haunt the development of India. Although India possesses some the most educated people and brightest minds in the world, it also has its areas of darkness. It has many people who are not aware of the benefits of a clean environment and do not make the connection between disease and squalor. As literacy spreads, and the population gets educated, hopefully this will resolve itself. More and more people will realize the benefits of clean environments and fewer and fewer will stick to the old ways. They will be the vanguard of a revolution that will sweep India quite literally and figuratively. The teachers of this country have an all important role to play in this regard.
6. Religion
We have great religions in India. All the major religions of the world have found a home in this vast, ancient and beautiful land. They all preach good things. They all hold cleanliness as a sacred virtue. Go visit the inside premises of a place of worship in India, be it a mandir, temple, mosque, dharga, gurdwara, church or other godly space and see how clean they are. Hinduism venerates Mother Earth and worships her as a goddess. Then how come this cleanliness does not spread outside the places of worship? Perhaps it has something to do with the asceticism that lingers in the Indian psyche. Indian spirituality has always venerated the renunciation of luxury and poor unkempt men who have given up their worldly life and embraced an existence of want, are venerated as sadhus. Is it possible that the Indian psyche considers the cleanliness of public spaces a luxury and therefore renounces it? Perhaps we feel guilty to want clean public spaces when we see so many of our countrymen languish in squalor due to dire poverty. However this has not stopped many from wanting the best for themselves and theirs in private, including spotlessly clean homes. We have to use the power that religion holds over our people to do good. One such good would be to emphasize the cleanliness preached by all religions and extend it into the public space. The religious leaders, priests and other religious minded people have a great responsibility in fostering civic sense in our people.
These may not be the correct reasons for the deficiencies in civic sense in India. There may be others we do not know about. Whatever the reasons might be, the time has come to ponder and find solutions. We have to galvanize our people to action. We have to foster a culture of civic pride. Let us unite and build an India that is clean and bright. Let us be a beacon to all mankind.
Saturday 29 December 2012
Friday 14 December 2012
The Causes of Unclean Public Spaces
When our public spaces spaces are unclean, many socio-political factors are at play. It is important to take stock of these, if we are to find viable solutions. Some are citizen related and others are related to governance. Yet others are related to socio-economic development of the country in general.
1. Lack of Civic Sense and Pride
When the citizenry fails to adopt clean behaviours, it is difficult for any government to maintain clean spaces. Littering, spitting, urinating and defecating in public spaces are human behaviours that are difficult to police unless the vast majority of people change their attitudes towards these practices. Penalties and other deterrences work only when a few people err, not when a large segment society continues to defy the rules. For this the general public has to espouse a sense of ownership of these spaces and take pride in keeping them clean. Indians are a very proud people and take great pride in their country's achievements. The different states and regions also have their individual pride. It is somewhat perplexing that this pride does not apply to cleanliness of the public commons. One possibility is that society does not value cleanliness. However most Indian people value the cleanliness of their personal space and have no problem keeping their homes clean. The lack of pride is confined to the public space. We will explore the possible reasons for this in another article.
2. Lack of Governance
Poor governance at every level is endemic in India. Unclean public spaces are a sure sign of a poorly governed jurisdiction. Sixty five years after independence, we Indians appear unable to govern ourselves. Indian governance has been an empty promise - we have a lot of talent, we talk big but achieve little on the ground. How difficult is it to put the infrastructure in place to facilitate clean human behaviour? This is not rocket science. Many countries around the world have done it and are doing it. There is a profound absence of a culture of excellence in government service. The authorities and administrators should have the passion and drive to make their villages, towns and cities better. If you say this to the average Indian Babu, he would think you are mad. That attitude has to change. Elected office and government jobs are not for personal gain alone, but for the public good too. These folks at the present time, seem to lack patriotism, which is very sad. Corruption, the curse of our nation also wreaks havoc in this regard.
3. Poverty
Although India is no longer a poor country and its GDP is growing steadily, it has many poor people. The stark poverty is both urban and rural. When people are dirt poor it is difficult to preach cleanliness to them. It is simply not their priority. Theirs is a struggle for survival. Many people live in slums that are no better than huge garbage dumps and eke out a living as ragpickers. That said many societies around the world are poor but are not unclean. Although there are many reasons why poverty and squalor can go together, it is not always true that poverty-stricken places are necessarily unclean. Even in our own country there are villages that are poor but clean. For example Mawlynnong in Meghalaya a village in the economically depressed North East of India, is often called the cleanest village in Asia. But money does matter as the progress shown in the cities of Gujarat for instance demonstrate. By that measure the economically more progressive states should be cleaner. But Tamil Nadu one of the faster developing states, does lag behind in cleanliness despite rapid economic progress.
4. Illiteracy
Lack of education is definitely a barrier to better maintenance of public places. If people are uneducated, they fail to make the connection between uncleanliness, poor hygiene, sanitation and disease. Our education system has to inculcate a sense of public responsibility in our kids. The culture has to change. They should learn to take ownership of their country. Teachers have a huge responsibility here. We need motivated and passionate teachers. Kerala is one of the more literate states and is also one of the cleanest. So there certainly is an association. Again by this measure also Tamil Nadu should be cleaner than it is.
These are entrenched problems that need to be overcome to achieve our goal of clean public spaces in India. The country is progressing economically and literacy levels are rising. The poverty and illiteracy should eventually decrease. But for civic pride and good governance to take hold, economic progress alone may not be enough. We need a sea change in attitude.
1. Lack of Civic Sense and Pride
When the citizenry fails to adopt clean behaviours, it is difficult for any government to maintain clean spaces. Littering, spitting, urinating and defecating in public spaces are human behaviours that are difficult to police unless the vast majority of people change their attitudes towards these practices. Penalties and other deterrences work only when a few people err, not when a large segment society continues to defy the rules. For this the general public has to espouse a sense of ownership of these spaces and take pride in keeping them clean. Indians are a very proud people and take great pride in their country's achievements. The different states and regions also have their individual pride. It is somewhat perplexing that this pride does not apply to cleanliness of the public commons. One possibility is that society does not value cleanliness. However most Indian people value the cleanliness of their personal space and have no problem keeping their homes clean. The lack of pride is confined to the public space. We will explore the possible reasons for this in another article.
2. Lack of Governance
Poor governance at every level is endemic in India. Unclean public spaces are a sure sign of a poorly governed jurisdiction. Sixty five years after independence, we Indians appear unable to govern ourselves. Indian governance has been an empty promise - we have a lot of talent, we talk big but achieve little on the ground. How difficult is it to put the infrastructure in place to facilitate clean human behaviour? This is not rocket science. Many countries around the world have done it and are doing it. There is a profound absence of a culture of excellence in government service. The authorities and administrators should have the passion and drive to make their villages, towns and cities better. If you say this to the average Indian Babu, he would think you are mad. That attitude has to change. Elected office and government jobs are not for personal gain alone, but for the public good too. These folks at the present time, seem to lack patriotism, which is very sad. Corruption, the curse of our nation also wreaks havoc in this regard.
3. Poverty
Although India is no longer a poor country and its GDP is growing steadily, it has many poor people. The stark poverty is both urban and rural. When people are dirt poor it is difficult to preach cleanliness to them. It is simply not their priority. Theirs is a struggle for survival. Many people live in slums that are no better than huge garbage dumps and eke out a living as ragpickers. That said many societies around the world are poor but are not unclean. Although there are many reasons why poverty and squalor can go together, it is not always true that poverty-stricken places are necessarily unclean. Even in our own country there are villages that are poor but clean. For example Mawlynnong in Meghalaya a village in the economically depressed North East of India, is often called the cleanest village in Asia. But money does matter as the progress shown in the cities of Gujarat for instance demonstrate. By that measure the economically more progressive states should be cleaner. But Tamil Nadu one of the faster developing states, does lag behind in cleanliness despite rapid economic progress.
4. Illiteracy
Lack of education is definitely a barrier to better maintenance of public places. If people are uneducated, they fail to make the connection between uncleanliness, poor hygiene, sanitation and disease. Our education system has to inculcate a sense of public responsibility in our kids. The culture has to change. They should learn to take ownership of their country. Teachers have a huge responsibility here. We need motivated and passionate teachers. Kerala is one of the more literate states and is also one of the cleanest. So there certainly is an association. Again by this measure also Tamil Nadu should be cleaner than it is.
These are entrenched problems that need to be overcome to achieve our goal of clean public spaces in India. The country is progressing economically and literacy levels are rising. The poverty and illiteracy should eventually decrease. But for civic pride and good governance to take hold, economic progress alone may not be enough. We need a sea change in attitude.
Saturday 1 December 2012
The Sources of Uncleanliness
In Tamil Nadu and India most public spaces are sadly in an unclean state. For an advanced and ancient civilization, it is indeed a perplexing problem. Sixty five years after independence, India still struggles to keep its public spaces clean. Any responsible society should pause and reflect why it is so and find solutions. To find solutions we have to clearly identify the problems. As part of this we have to define the sources of dirt.
1. Littering
Although people litter in any society, it can be safely said India truly leads in this behaviour. Littering is a personal behaviour that can only be eliminated if individuals take responsibility. It is difficult to police and penalize when it is so widespread. The majority has to modify their behaviour. Punitive measures can take care of the minority who would not change. An all out effort should be taken to modify the behaviour of the masses. Education, spreading awareness and fostering of civic pride are essential. Behaviour is difficult to modify in the adult. Efforts should be made to win over children and young adults. Local governments and other agencies or private entities that manage public spaces should provide the infrastructure such as bins and maintain and service them regularly.
2.Dumping
Dumping is the act of transporting ones waste to another site and depositing it in that space. Dumping of some sort takes place in most societies often surreptitiously and is an illegal activity. What is different in India is that it is done quite openly in plain daylight. What is worse is that it is often practiced by local government bodies. This has to stop. If a local government bodies does it, the levels of governments above them should intervene. The authorities at every level must be more responsible. It is an activity that is easily prevented by adequate legislation and enforcement. Stiff penalties should be imposed. Again proper infrastructure and systems to facilitate proper disposal are important.
3. Spitting
This is a uniquely Indian phenomenon. Spitting in public spaces is a curse of our country. Again aggressive behaviour modification campaigns are needed followed by penalties. In jurisdictions like Mumbai, penalties are in effect and efforts are made to enforce them but are largely unsuccessful due lack of behaviour modification of the masses.
4.Public Urination
Urinating in public is accepted behaviour for men in India. It is not so in most parts of the world. Many people who habitually urinate in public spaces would be surprised, if told that what they do is wrong. After all they have been doing it all their lives. This has to change. Mass education and change in community attitudes is needed. By the same token the authorities have to provide clean, convenient toilet facilities and maintain and service them regularly. After that, the ones who do not comply can be persecuted.
5. Open Defecation
It is an open secret that many people in the state and country continue to defecate in the open. Although a shameful fact to many, it is a real problem and has to be dealt with. Again mass education and behaviour modification is needed. Many programs initiated by various levels of government are available and should be utilized properly.
6. Discharge of sewage into common water bodies
This is criminal, but nevertheless exists. This is the rich man's open defecation. People who live in swanky apartment buildings blissfully ignore the fact that the excreta flushed down their toilets ends up in a local river or lake untreated. Their social consciousness is limited to just holding their noses tight when passing these polluted water bodies. Buildings and new housing should not be allowed to be built until the builders have shown proof how they are going to handle the sewage.
If the above problems are addressed, our public spaces will be second to none in the world. It is a challenging task, but can be done. It has to be done. We owe it to our country. We owe it to ourselves, our children and theirs.
1. Littering
Although people litter in any society, it can be safely said India truly leads in this behaviour. Littering is a personal behaviour that can only be eliminated if individuals take responsibility. It is difficult to police and penalize when it is so widespread. The majority has to modify their behaviour. Punitive measures can take care of the minority who would not change. An all out effort should be taken to modify the behaviour of the masses. Education, spreading awareness and fostering of civic pride are essential. Behaviour is difficult to modify in the adult. Efforts should be made to win over children and young adults. Local governments and other agencies or private entities that manage public spaces should provide the infrastructure such as bins and maintain and service them regularly.
2.Dumping
Dumping is the act of transporting ones waste to another site and depositing it in that space. Dumping of some sort takes place in most societies often surreptitiously and is an illegal activity. What is different in India is that it is done quite openly in plain daylight. What is worse is that it is often practiced by local government bodies. This has to stop. If a local government bodies does it, the levels of governments above them should intervene. The authorities at every level must be more responsible. It is an activity that is easily prevented by adequate legislation and enforcement. Stiff penalties should be imposed. Again proper infrastructure and systems to facilitate proper disposal are important.
3. Spitting
This is a uniquely Indian phenomenon. Spitting in public spaces is a curse of our country. Again aggressive behaviour modification campaigns are needed followed by penalties. In jurisdictions like Mumbai, penalties are in effect and efforts are made to enforce them but are largely unsuccessful due lack of behaviour modification of the masses.
4.Public Urination
Urinating in public is accepted behaviour for men in India. It is not so in most parts of the world. Many people who habitually urinate in public spaces would be surprised, if told that what they do is wrong. After all they have been doing it all their lives. This has to change. Mass education and change in community attitudes is needed. By the same token the authorities have to provide clean, convenient toilet facilities and maintain and service them regularly. After that, the ones who do not comply can be persecuted.
5. Open Defecation
It is an open secret that many people in the state and country continue to defecate in the open. Although a shameful fact to many, it is a real problem and has to be dealt with. Again mass education and behaviour modification is needed. Many programs initiated by various levels of government are available and should be utilized properly.
6. Discharge of sewage into common water bodies
This is criminal, but nevertheless exists. This is the rich man's open defecation. People who live in swanky apartment buildings blissfully ignore the fact that the excreta flushed down their toilets ends up in a local river or lake untreated. Their social consciousness is limited to just holding their noses tight when passing these polluted water bodies. Buildings and new housing should not be allowed to be built until the builders have shown proof how they are going to handle the sewage.
If the above problems are addressed, our public spaces will be second to none in the world. It is a challenging task, but can be done. It has to be done. We owe it to our country. We owe it to ourselves, our children and theirs.
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