Every time you criticise the government just ask yourself what you have done to contribute to the nation. We tend to believe in our leaders even if we don’t want to—every time. We have believed in them since India became a nation. That “hope” that they will do something better for the nation is why we vote. So with that hope, I would say, yes! Whosoever comes to power will do something for the betterment of the people.
No, I don’t blame RaGa or Modi or others. It’s YOU I blame.
People spit on the roads, throw litter out of the windows while travelling in buses or cars, litter especially where a sign says “Don’t litter here”- inside the trains, or at a public event leaving tonnes of garbage about. People cut lines in public places, and even though you stood longer than them, you just let it go. They don’t follow traffic rules, jump signals, ride on the footpath, not wear a helmet (which is for their safety!). Maybe they think they would be doing the police a favour by wearing a helmet on their head.
We see them running away from the police when asked to a show of driver’s license, which they already have. We see them urinating in public, throwing stones at the buses and public/private properties as if they own them.
Yes, the government will give us a bullet train, but they will never expect us to throw stones at it even if we paid the taxes!
We throw the trash into the lakes, rivers and seas. We burn down thousands of acres of forest land for our benefit. We pour down litres of milk on a deity or the poster of some celebrity when almost over 10 million people starve in our country. We write on the walls of our precious monuments and structures.
I don’t know about you, but all this makes me so angry and sad. Yes! I know our government is not pure and corruption-free. But as citizens, what have we done? I know you must be a tax-paying, law-abiding citizen. What I don’t know is if it’s just Indians or is it the human nature to not follow the rules. When asked not to do something, we just want to do it more. Please don’t tell me it is reverse psychology.
It’s just that you do what you think is right at the end of the day, but need to blame someone for all the things happening around you. But, it is you who have elected them, so why not blame yourself for the mess? There is so much intolerance, negativity and indiscipline within us that we don’t even realise that what we do most of the times is actually wrong. It’s not about education. It is not about the work you do. It is not about the religion you follow either. Sometimes it’s not even about the way you are brought up. It’s just YOU. It’s your choice to do what you do.
By the end of five years, when you question the government, ask yourself if YOU have been a good citizen, whether YOU are truly worthy of pointing the finger at the government. It is, after all, our responsibility to drive the nation where we want to see it. If we want our cities to look like Calgary, Zurich, Singapore or Japan first make sure you act like you deserve it.
Jai Hind.