This article India’s 9/11? Not Exactly - NYTimes.com prompted me to ask - What kind of response do you want?
A friend wisely replied -
"I want one where citizens, instead of blaming Govt realize that the Govt is just a reflection of them. Ironic how most of us Indians participate in corruption and now are "waking" up to see our Govt's corruption and ineptness. I think this is a great opportunity for each one of us to start doing the right thing. Participate in our Govt and in general society. Then it will be impossible for our "Govt" to ignore such important matters."
I am very curious about what others think. Is corruption such a fundamental problem? Why are we not more engaged? Why are we not inspired? Why do we hear incredible stories about Taj employees but only criticisms of officials? Most of all, what can each of do? People have said to stay angry and not let up. But this does not seem like a practical solution - I am looking for tangible steps - what are they?
Monday, December 8, 2008
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2 comments:
The matter of international terrorism is not one that can be solved by citizens on their own. This can be done only by armed forces and intelligence agencies and above all, a willingness to act.
In India, the cultural and economic differences in all parts of the country make this an even more difficult challenge for citizens, the government and other agencies to perform their duties in an objective manner. The biggest problem here, that I see daily, is the attitude of "me first- to hell with the rest". As a simple example that I face every day is driving on the roads. People will cut lanes in such a manner that will leave all behind stuck just so that they can go ahead of a few cars, instead of following lane discipline so that traffic flows smoothly for all. To them it does not matter what happens to the rest of the cars (read: society) as long as they get ahead. These examples are even seen in every day life.
The root of the problem lies in the education system which is built for "mass education", where thousands graduate from schools and colleges every year, but have they really "graduated" to lead a good civil life?
There are lots of short and long term solutions that need to be tackled.
I agree, blaming the government as per our convenience is not going to get anywhere. One day we need a financial stimulus and the other day we need security.
I would like to list a few action steps that we can take:
- Vote. Even a blank vote will do. Make them hear your voice and show them that you will be there on polling day.
- Pay taxes and fines officially. Although, the latter is not practical all the time ( I am guilty here too), doing it as many times as possible will help.
- Choose and insist on a schooling system for your kids (nephews/nieces) that will focus on overall development and not only grades.
- Make choices that may be a bit inconvenient to you but is better for those around you.
- Tell your drivers to stop lane cutting and honking unnnecessarily (this is a selfish one! but none the less important). Do the same with domestic staff and employees/colleauges.
Personally, I think as an educated citizen and in a relatively stronger financial situation I need to do more. It may happen through career choices or choices of everyday living. Rallies and events to me seem like a big theme party. Are we really proving anything to anyone when we show up for these rallies but not at voting booths?
Lets start small and be effective in our daily lives. Our problems are systematic and require actions to be taken at the root.
Your response got me thinking of an experience I had a couple of years ago at Newark airport.
I was at the airport parking waiting for a shuttle bus to take us to the terminal. It was a busy holiday weekend and there were about 40 others waiting with me in freezing temperatures. We waited for at least 30 minutes before a bus came along which was already half full. I was skeptical of whether we would all fit in and expected a mad rush to get into the bus.
Surprisingly, this did not happen. People proceeded in an orderly fashion with those waiting the longest boarding first. I was impressed. You can be sure that a mad rush would have happened in India.
Why the difference? Perhaps because of the "me first-to hell with the rest" attitude. But, it is also a matter of whether you trust the "system" and the powers to be. People who didn't get on the bus trusted that another would be along shortly. And sure enough it did - as we left the parking lot, another shuttle arrived.
The government and institutions need to give us a reason to trust them. Even while driving, you need to believe that if you follow the rules, you will be better off in the long run. Whether its through better vigilance or stronger punitive actions.
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