For public spaces to be clean, we need good civic governance. The lack of adequate waste collection and disposal systems, absence of public toilet facilities and ineffectual sewerage systems all show how badly India is governed from a civic point of view.
We have to be cautious when we criticize Indian governance, because it is wrong to say India has poor governance overall. On the contrary, in some ways India is governed well. It is not easy to govern a country the size of India with its complex and multitude of problems. In many ways the people who govern our country are doing a fairly reasonable job under difficult conditions and should be congratulated. The deficiency in governance however, is quite clear when it comes to civic governance.
The large population and its density, illiteracy, poverty, communal strife and religious sensitivities all make India a difficult place to govern. Yet civilized populations should be easier to govern and India boasts one of the oldest civilizations anywhere and quite complex and advanced cultures. It is difficult to come up with simple answers to explain the deficiencies in civic government in India. Let us explore possible reasons.
1. Population
It is true India is a very populous country. It also has a high population density in its urban centres. The large population indeed places a heavy burden on the infrastructure of crowded cities. Large populations need efficient, adequate sewerage systems and effective garbage collection and disposal systems. It is also a challenge to keep up with the rapidly growing population of cities. For the infrastructure and systems to grow and sustain we need effective and exceptional governance. Unfortunately in this aspect the governance is sadly lacking in most parts of India.
2. Lack of citizen cooperation
No country can be governed well without the cooperation of the population. The Indian Freedom Movement taught us that a nation cannot be governed if the population chose not to cooperate at all. This is more evident in a democratic society such as India. In modern India we see a sad lack of civic pride amongst the general masses when it comes to cleanliness of public places.
3. Apathy and lack of motivation.
Although it is wrong to say that all Indian administrators have a lackadaisical attitude towards cleanliness in the communities they serve, it is safe to say that the vast majority of administrators do.They either do not appreciate the importance of this vital element of a society or they are incapable of implementing their duties. In other words, they are simply incompetent.
4. Corruption
Corruption, especially of the petty kind is endemic in India. It is an ugly fact of modern India. Corruption exists all over the world and is not unique to India. What is unique about Indian corruption is that the corrupt are also very incompetent. It is said that Chinese government officials will take bribes, divert government funds but still get the job done. In India our officials will take the money but will not accomplish the task. The recent revelation about the vast sums of money spent on cleaning the Ganga and Yamuna over a thirty year period without any tangible benefit to society is a case in point.
5. Lack of vision
Governments need vision. Many nations have been blessed with visionary leaders in government who set their nations on a certain course of betterment over long periods of time. Good political leaders define how their countries should develop, envision the end result and set in motion a series of actions that will propel their nations towards the desired goal. Gandhi had a vision for a free India and it was achieved. Nehru had a vision for modern India and although some of us may not agree with all that he envisioned, you have to credit the man with a clear and credible vision for the nation. Lee Kuan Yew had a vision for a modern Singapore that included a clean country. Unfortunately, contemporary India seems to lack leaders with vision when it comes to urban development. They have clear visions when it comes to developing the economy which is important. However when it comes to civic governance that drive is sorely inadequate. The only exception, like him or not, seems to be Narendra Modi in Gujarat where the streets are certainly getting cleaner compared to the rest of India.
6. Poverty
For much of its existence as an independent, modern country India has been viewed as a poor country. However this is changing fast. As the economy grows rapidly, as surely it will after the current global slow down is over, the various levels of government will have ever increasing spending ability. Sure we have a lot of poor people and will do so for a considerable time in the future, but we are not a poor country. Our governments have to spend money to improve civic infrastructure.
We hope the civic governance of this country will improve over the next few years and coupled with a better sense of civic pride in the general population, Indian cities, towns and villages will become great places to live in and visit.
