60 years of freedom! In such a short span of time India has moved ahead in leaps and bounds towards a better future. We yet have a lot to achieve, a long road ahead, miles to go… in spite of which we still see and feel pride and enthusiasm brimming in the youth. The optimism and feel good factor going around is contagious.
We have reflected upon many accomplishments through many struggles of India and now need to evaluate the upcoming challenges, which collectively we, as able citizens can work upon towards making India not only a strong economic force but also help it in moving it up the social ladder.
Globally, Indians are known to be extremely patriotic and united. Yet when it comes to extending courtesy and considerate behaviour to our own fellow citizens, we are way behind compared to citizens of other nations. We are completely indifferent to the person standing in queue for hours and break in between, don’t care to help someone injured on the road, readily bribe a cop for a traffic offence, abuse someone who recklessly overtakes while driving, and of course, recklessly overtake while driving and endangering others. Overall, our attitude sucks! Attitudes have got to change.
We need to recognize that even the smallest of effort within our individual power goes a long way in making a complete difference in outcome of our actions. Whether it is in extending basic courtesies like queuing up, helping an injured person, maintaining traffic discipline, or by doing something on a larger scale like empowering underprivileged women, educating disadvantaged children and orphans, providing basic necessities to the deprived, demanding justice from a corrupt system, getting out on the road to regulate traffic, fighting for a mutual cause for safety for all or preventing crime by just being alert. Such efforts from citizens will enable a better and safer society. If at an individual level a person can make a difference then it is obvious what a collaborative effort can garner.
We can complain endlessly about how the government isn’t doing enough, that there’s too much congestion on the roads, too much crime, pollution, poverty, population, etc. What are we doing to help?
Point well made. As a disabled person myself, i have to think long and hard whenever i have to get out of my house, wether the task is worth my injuring myself by falling over uneven potholed streets, or being run over by a taxi or BEST bus while crossing the street, or just plain shoved out of the way by the restless hordes that fill up the so called sidewalks.
as far as courtesy goes, Indians are still in the Middles Ages.