In every domestic travel (be it bus, train or plane) that I do, I get deeply perturbed by the haste, hurry and disorderliness displayed by the passengers. They hurry into the vehicle as if others are going to take away their reserved seats. Even before the end of the journey, and before the vehicle comes to halt, they jump up, pick up their luggage and stand, showing big urgency in getting out!
The domestic transports are always noisy with people talking to each other in high decibels, passengers listening to loud music/video in their mobile phones without earphones and the like. One aways notice lack of calmness & patience and the body language, that of perpetual restlessness!
Even outside, in driving, in the usage of public facilities & conveniences, the lack of civility is tremendously visible. The hustle and din prevails completely on the Indian in whatever he does. We behave as if the world is going to end imminently before which we must complete the act!
In many parts of the developed world that I had travelled, I always found a sense of orderliness in the behaviour of its citizens, be it travelling in public transports, driving vehicles, shopping, eating in restaurants, walking & crossing roads etc. They strictly adhere to the system, rules and the policy framework. All these are built with very high level of precautions that give assurance to the denizens of highest levels of safety & security to their life and properties. And they calmly go about with their life in orderliness.
I used to wonder, why we are built the way we are. A majority of Indians live in misery and the demography is so huge for a country of India’s size. It is like too little for too many people wanting things, and that insecurity creeps into all our acts which results in all these wanton behaviour. Though large percentage of population had progressed out of poverty, the ‘poverty in the mind’ continues to haunt everyone.
And the irritation grows more when we hear the myopic leaders tell us how good we are, what ‘sanskriti’ we had and why we should not ape the developed world. Mired in superstitions and pseudoscience, they tell us how we ‘contributed’ to the progress of the world. They intricately mix up religion & caste with the polity, to keep us tied in as parochial clans, despising others.
It is clear that unless we free our mind, consciously get out the sense of misery and allowing to see others with empathy & positivity, we shall continue with our clannish hooligan behaviour.
