Bug the Litterbugs !!

We Indians are an amazing group of people. We hate to be told what is correct and what is not, we do not appreciate directions, we do not definitely like to follow the good but take to the worse. In our school of mind we preach the vastness and diversity of this country and lazy that we are, we blame circumstances as the reason of the challenges that are not achievable.

We are highly and easily influenced people. Transformable, but only when we are under strict supervision. When in a country away from India, we make sure not to litter. The Soft drink cans go right into the bin and does not fall just outside the bin. Cigarette buds go into the ashtray of the car and not fly out of the car window; litters go into the litter bags and reach regularly to the safe abode of the litter collector and not the corner of the street by the lamp-post. That is us. These actions follow because we see people not littering, we see people following rules and we know that everyone is being watched by law and order.

Back home, we do the same things, follow the people around us. Since the heap of garbage lies at the corner street, I go there during the wee hours to add a little more to the heap. Who would notice (I am not being watched). The cigarette bud goes flying out of the car window, again everyone does that, I am just following, who would notice. The stinky wall by the pavement is the sign of men urinating on the wall, how another round would make a difference, we add to that. That is us……. Indians, very us.

Again, we keep our houses clean, the domestic help makes sure to broom and sweep without fail everyday. Cleanliness is next to Godliness as we know and follow. All the garbage from the last day lands outside the main gate of the house. Our house remains clean. Similarly, we do not litter the city we live in. The wrappers and tetra-packs, the cans and the food left overs go into a bin or a poly/paper bag in general. However, when we are tourists, be become decorative and more carefree and start littering as we do not belong there.

This is extremely sad. No one can correct us if we do not do it ourselves. We are required to be under the surveillance of our own conscience. We would have to make the effort to treat this country like to take the effort to clean our houses. We would have to take a step to stop the fellow litterbugs.

Litterbug should not be the ones who litters around, litterbugs should be the people who bug the ones who litter around. How about picking up the wrapper from the street and putting it in the pocket of the one who threw it on the street. Or, picking up the banana peel and throwing it back into the car. May be this will make them realize where they are going wrong and they are being monitored, if they are not. Why not take this initiative to be the bugs for the ones who litter around???