1 September 2014

Two Nations!

 One day after dinner Tomoko and I both went to put the trash out. Tomoko Hasegawa and I were neighbors in Durham University’s hostel apartments in the U.K. She was from Japan, living with her husband and son and we were good friends.



The covered trash cans were kept outside the apartment block in a fenced area. Somebody had left their garbage bags outside the bins. It had been a very windy day and the thrash was strewn all over the place. Tomoko looked very disturbed at this sight. She immediately got down to picking up the garbage and collecting them in a black polythene bag. I just stood there transfixed at this sight! Picking up someone else’s refuse was unthinkable for me!


   Kiyomi, another Japanese friend of mine always sorts out her garbage, rinsing out empty bottles and cans before throwing them into the recycle bin.



  Japanese children are always courteous and respectful.

Today when I watch the news of our Prime-minister visiting Japan, I remember these incidents with my Japanese friends.




Japan is JAPAN because of its people, their hard work and commitment towards their nation. A country totally destroyed and ruined at the end of Second World War again found place within the top economic and technological powers of the world.
Japanese people are disciplined and hard working. They have created the third largest economy in the world. Their Infrastructure is designed to support the people living there. The modern Japan is a product of the  commitment of the people to their duties. 




They are ready to sacrifice their rights to fulfill their duties towards the society and the country. People are taught to be responsible for their own actions. They are taught to value time.
  


 We Indians have a lot to learn from the Japanese. For one, we definitely need to be more disciplined. Our “ chalta hai”attitude about everything, our total lack of civic sense and our almost nonexistent sense of responsibility specially towards public property is evident in the red pan stains on the roads and public buildings.

                                 
                                      
     Converting every street corner into a garbage dump or a public urinal!           


    People jaywalking where ever they fancy!


 No amount of Infrastructure can remedy a nation. It’s the mindset that needs to be changed. We need a revolution, a radical movement to educate Indians. We need to be more aware of our duties and obligations towards our country.




To convert India into Japan, Indians have to be  more responsible towards their civic duties .You may clean the Ganges but if mindsets are not changed it won’t remain clean. You create infrastructure it will be misused. 



 


 Last year I read this shocking news in a Mumbai paper. Here is the link-




 The Indian Railways had built A.C dormitories for overnight passengers at their CST station.The railways took due care to provide expensive lighting, taps and mattresses. Within a week vandals had slashed the mattresses, stolen the taps, shower heads and bulbs! A furious Railway officer is quoted to have said,” Those who complain that the railways abroad provide much better facilities should also note that people there take care of public property ”.
How true! We get the country we deserve! To create a city like Kyoto in India we need to be disciplined, responsible and hardworking. But Most of all we need to perform our civic duties just like the Japanese.



No comments:

Post a Comment

 
;