Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Answers ?

This has been inspired by a number of articles i read in the past 24 hrs pertaining to a basic sense of cleanliness, rather , the lack of it, inbred into the majority of the indian population. This by no means is a new topic... it has been discussed for eons. It is the illogical double standards of our countrymen that is baffling to the mind. Take, for example, our beaches. Starting off with the place im stationed at present, Chennai, we look at the marina beach. A few days back i was just strolling around the beach in the evening, relishing the pleasant change in the weather, from the scorching chennai summer to overcast monsoon clouds. As usual, the Marina was a plethora of activity, from people taking their evening walks, couples snuggled in the cool sea breeze, children running around in their typical playful endeavours, to shopkeepers trying to lure customers into their shops. In the midst of all this i coudnt help observing a fine young couple walking along the sealine, having a couple of wrappers that come with those eatables in the numerous shops spread across the sprawling beach. I observed how they casually passed on the wrappers to the free hand, slided it down and just deposited it on the sandy surface. All this without batting an eyelid. As if it is in their second nature to just keep dropping things anywhere they please. In spite of the fact that there was a dustbin not 5 metres away.
The case is no different in Mumbai. The juhu beach, famed for its proximity to the houses of film stars and celebrities, is a frequented by a large number of people. Although not as encompassing as the Marina, it is still a spot to be visited on the Mumbai tourist's trip. The case here is no different than the one described above. People with the I-Dont-care attitude just dumping things here and there unmindful of any thing. This is the standard scene at most indian beaches on the tourist map.
Which brings me to Goa. The land of the beaches. What strikes particularly about goan beaches is the absence of such garbage in the beaches. In spite of a large number of beaches spread throughout the state, all the beaches that iv gone to are spick n span . It is not as if they are not frequented by tourists and locals alike. In fact they are the most visited places on any tourist's map. Why this double standard ? Im sure it is not the fault of the cleaning agencies in the metros. In both Mumbai and Chennai, the corporators have taken commendable measures to try and clean up the beaches. The marina is extensively cleaned through state-of-the-art machines regularly. The BMC ( brihanmumbai muncipal corp. ) alloted 10 crores of rupees for the cleanliness drive of the juhu beach. These proactive measures are taken up in all these beaches. Yet, the difference. In spite of the fact that it is the same indian tourist who travels to these places. One has to realize that all the unnecessary expenditure is straight out of the tax payer's pockets. Why people dont realize it, is beyond me.
Which brings me back to my question. Why this double standard by the people ? Why the difference in behaviour ? It is something to which i have drawn nought whichever direction i have gone. Answers, anyone ?

6 comments:

Vidya said...

yes yes yes!! wht do v do? i cant stop myself from commentin at such i-dunno-whats!!.. but all i get is some horribly rude tamil reply tht i dont evn understand :( sigh..!!

Oink said...

i dunno ... mebbe give them a look of scornful incredulity ... i try to do that, but end up gettin wierd stares from passerbys :(

Vidya said...

doesnt work! they JUS DONT CARE!! how can they?!! r they uneducated or somethin?

vinaya said...

Could it have something to do with the fact that tourists are Goa's bread and butter? They had better keep the beaches clean or they starve.

Oink said...

lol

fiddlesticks said...

scornful incredulity does not work, believe me! u'll feel like a psycho, with the looks u receive!! anyway never mind the big cities, prolly ppl are uneducated.. how do u explain our frikkin COLLEGE PPL littering???????? losers deserve to be flogged!!