Wake up !

I was in train, sitting and was listening to songs. There was one lady sitting in front of me. She tried throwing wrappers outside the train window. The another lady who was sitting beside me, stopped the lady with a smiling face and didn't let her to throw the wrappers outside...

I was observing this. I felt so happy to see this that I couldn't resist myself from congratulating and thanking this lady who stopped another one from throwing wrappers out. After this congratulations and everything that lady said something which inspired me from deep within. She said,"Today I stopped this one. Tomorrow she may think to stop someone else." Such an inspiring and stimulating sentence!

I used to do this earlier. I also used to stand up against those overtly who don't maintain hygiene at public places. Some of them, they listened to me silently, some listened passively and some listened receptively. But during this process, I also came across those who didn't listen to me but who actually fired back. At such times, I have always smiled back as I knew that this person is not in receptive mode.

But it has always hurt me to see Indian people not maintaining cleanliness at public places. I am pretty sure that if this population would fly to other countries, they would definitely not even think of making public places dirty and unclean. Why is this so? Is it just beacuse other countries have strict rules regarding cleanliness and here we don't have it? It could be the case.

Why are we so lethargic and demotivated in case of public hygiene? We don't even utter a single word when see someone throwing wrappers or papers on roads when we know from depth of our heart that it's wrong, it's against national pride and harmful for environment and mankind. What does prevent us from preventing others from dirtying public places? I think it's just 'Chalataa hain' attitude and beacuse of phenomenon of 'Social loafing'.

Social loafing is a well known phenomenon in Social Psychology where while being in a group, people tend to put lesser efforts to achieve a target as compared with while work alone. Reasons for this could be many. People may feel that this is particular work is not just mine, it's not just my target, I am not only responsible for this, other can contribute, why should only I?  This is exactly what happens with us. We too feel keeping public places clean is not just my responsibility. It's that of everyone else. So only why should I bother? But isn't it wrong having this mentality?

I stopped myself from confronting people who make public places unclean beacuse I started feeling hopeless and helpless about the situation. But this is also not right. I also should take up the attitude of  that lady who prevented another one from dirtying the public place, about whom I spoke in the beginning. I should restart this. I should be the change I want to see.

Take care and wake up...

- By Dipti S. A. Shinde

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