"To eradicate dirt and filth and make our country litter-free, public thrashing is the only solution. When the offender is punished by public, only then would our country become clean and beautiful."
That's the aggressive placard that I have been encountering every day for the past few weeks, just outside CST Railway Station. Its owner is a well-dressed man, probably in his thirties, who seems to come across as some kind of lone crusader fighting for a lost cause.
Like me, thousands of others give him astonished, yet amused looks. Many also appreciate him for taking up this initiative. Many support his cause too, but propose alternative measures to deal with the problem. And quite a few think that he's either jobless or just demented.
Chavhan says that he had written to Mumbai Police in the past, and to the railway personnel as well, but his efforts have borne no fruit. He even says that public announcements made in railway stations are hardly heeded by anyone. He believes that this is the job of the police but due to their lack of active participation, he prefers doing his little bit. While many support his idea of ‘public thrashing’, a few explain to him why a kinder approach would be better.
What this little initative demonstrates is that while there is a lot of public anger at the lack of civic sense in the city, pretty little is being done about it by both, the adminsitration and the citizenry. My own opinion is that a public thrashing is not feasible in a democratic country such as India. People here are allowed to freely choose their government but this freedom is equally misinterpreted by many. Without having second thoughts, a majority of them litter freely and fearlessly. The funny part is that a board at Mahapalika Marg, which is just a stone's throw away from CST, warns of a fine of Rs 200 for littering. And yet, the offenders aren't deterred. Is it a classic case of the law being in place, but the issue is implementation?
While efforts are being made to create awareness, the situation will improve only when citizens realize their responsibility. We have the habit of having high expectations from the government, political parties and leaders, but tend to forget that it is our duty to maintain the facilities provided to us.
Mr Chavhan's intentions are not wrong -- he is perhaps another example of a frustrated citizen who wants to bring revolution and is trying to do his bit. But his method is unconventional and could raise eyebrows for its impracticality.
The change needs to be instilled in a progressive manner through awareness campaigns, and even if a small percentage of the target audience buys the idea, I believe it would have a trickle-down effect in the long run.
In Singapore litterbugs are fined of up to S$300, and the administrtation there is even mulling other punitive action such as forcing the culprit to clean up his mess in full public view.
In California, a first-time offender faces a fine of $100 along with an eight-hour task of cleaning up roadside litter. A third offense attracts a minimum penalty of a $750 fine and 24 hours of litter cleanup. In Washington State, throwing away cigarette butts could set you back by as much as $1,025.
In India, fines and regulations don't seem to work. People still litter, still travel ticketless, still break traffic signals, still cut lanes, still smoke in taxis (in Mumbai, there's a Rs 300 fine for that) and still do many other things they shouldn't be doing. Bringing this change by exerting social pressure seems to be a better option and has the potential to deliver more encouraging results.
The bottom line is, that Mr Chavhan got me thinking, as I am sure he would have, several other commuters.
That's the aggressive placard that I have been encountering every day for the past few weeks, just outside CST Railway Station. Its owner is a well-dressed man, probably in his thirties, who seems to come across as some kind of lone crusader fighting for a lost cause.
Like me, thousands of others give him astonished, yet amused looks. Many also appreciate him for taking up this initiative. Many support his cause too, but propose alternative measures to deal with the problem. And quite a few think that he's either jobless or just demented.
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I mustered up some courage one day and asked this man what he did for a living. “My name is Krishna Chavhan and I am a Computer Engineer,” he responded. On probing further he told me he did this every morning between 8:30 and 11:30 and then proceeded to his office. I continued the conversation and he said, “I find people are making the country intolerably dirty and filthy, and I can’t bear this anymore.”
Chavhan says that he had written to Mumbai Police in the past, and to the railway personnel as well, but his efforts have borne no fruit. He even says that public announcements made in railway stations are hardly heeded by anyone. He believes that this is the job of the police but due to their lack of active participation, he prefers doing his little bit. While many support his idea of ‘public thrashing’, a few explain to him why a kinder approach would be better.
What this little initative demonstrates is that while there is a lot of public anger at the lack of civic sense in the city, pretty little is being done about it by both, the adminsitration and the citizenry. My own opinion is that a public thrashing is not feasible in a democratic country such as India. People here are allowed to freely choose their government but this freedom is equally misinterpreted by many. Without having second thoughts, a majority of them litter freely and fearlessly. The funny part is that a board at Mahapalika Marg, which is just a stone's throw away from CST, warns of a fine of Rs 200 for littering. And yet, the offenders aren't deterred. Is it a classic case of the law being in place, but the issue is implementation?
While efforts are being made to create awareness, the situation will improve only when citizens realize their responsibility. We have the habit of having high expectations from the government, political parties and leaders, but tend to forget that it is our duty to maintain the facilities provided to us.
Mr Chavhan's intentions are not wrong -- he is perhaps another example of a frustrated citizen who wants to bring revolution and is trying to do his bit. But his method is unconventional and could raise eyebrows for its impracticality.
The change needs to be instilled in a progressive manner through awareness campaigns, and even if a small percentage of the target audience buys the idea, I believe it would have a trickle-down effect in the long run.
In Singapore litterbugs are fined of up to S$300, and the administrtation there is even mulling other punitive action such as forcing the culprit to clean up his mess in full public view.
In California, a first-time offender faces a fine of $100 along with an eight-hour task of cleaning up roadside litter. A third offense attracts a minimum penalty of a $750 fine and 24 hours of litter cleanup. In Washington State, throwing away cigarette butts could set you back by as much as $1,025.
In India, fines and regulations don't seem to work. People still litter, still travel ticketless, still break traffic signals, still cut lanes, still smoke in taxis (in Mumbai, there's a Rs 300 fine for that) and still do many other things they shouldn't be doing. Bringing this change by exerting social pressure seems to be a better option and has the potential to deliver more encouraging results.
The bottom line is, that Mr Chavhan got me thinking, as I am sure he would have, several other commuters.