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.
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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.
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