The Lingering Stain on 'Incredible India': A Reflection on Civic Sense

I recently came across a video that has sparked significant discussion, showing a Russian tourist confronting Indian children about littering on the streets Russian tourist schools Indian kids for littering, Kiren Rijiju shares video urging ‘pls sensitise’. The tourist, Ameana Finds, firmly asked the children to pick up their trash, highlighting how such behavior impacts their own country. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju even shared the video, urging for greater 'sensitisation.' The overwhelming response from Indians online—apologetic and grateful for her speaking up—is telling.

This incident, unfortunately, is not isolated. Ameana Finds has, in fact, brought up similar observations before, including an elderly man discreetly throwing an ice cream wrapper under a seat at the Attari–Wagah border, as noted in the Livemint article. It brings to the forefront a persistent challenge we face: civic responsibility and waste management.

It strikes me that this isn't a new concern. I remember reflecting on the image of India to foreign visitors years ago. In my blog from May 2016, titled "Incredible India," I pondered whether the slogan truly aligned with the reality foreign tourists might encounter, lamenting the focus on trivial debates over pressing societal issues like drought or, in this case, basic cleanliness. The recent video serves as a stark reminder that while we aspire to be an 'Incredible India,' our actions on the ground often contradict this aspiration.

For years, I've advocated for a systemic shift in how we approach waste. Back in August 2017, in "Education Necessary; Reward Essential," I argued that while education on waste management is crucial, it's often insufficient on its own. I stressed that tangible results would only come when we put in place both incentives and disincentives.

This idea wasn't new even then. In April 2016, I wrote about "Incentivize Housing Societies," proposing a model where municipalities would offer rebates on taxes to housing societies that installed on-site waste processing and water recycling plants. Conversely, I suggested a surcharge for those that failed to implement such schemes. My core argument was that the perception needed to shift from "garbage collection is the Municipality's responsibility" to "garbage disposal is our responsibility."

It was validating, then, to see NITI Aayog echo similar sentiments in December 2021. Their proposal to introduce a 'Pay As You Throw' policy and offer incentives and disincentives for waste segregation at source, as I highlighted in my blog "Thank You, NITI Aayog," mirrored the very solutions I had outlined years prior. They, too, emphasized incentivizing waste generators to manage waste at the source and suggested a green public procurement policy to promote recyclables.

Seeing these discussions resurface through the lens of a viral video reinforces a sense of validation for those earlier insights. The challenge of waste management and civic responsibility is clearly not just an environmental one, but also one that profoundly impacts our national image and global standing. The ideas I proposed years ago, focused on a combination of education, positive incentives, and negative disincentives, still hold immense value in today's context. It's time we revisit and implement these solutions with renewed urgency, transforming our country not just for visitors, but for ourselves.

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Regards,
Hemen Parekh