We are like this wonly....

All this while i was under the impression that if one is late to a class, you don't go and occupy a place right ahead. However, i was proved totally wrong by this person in today's gym class. 5 minutes into the class, when workout had begun, this woman walks in, stands right in front of me and starts off. So either I momentarily turned invisible or that lady left her brains at home.

Or is this just the usual behaviour of the average Indian? We are famous for these things aren't we? Impunctuality, disrespect for another's space, etc.. I guess everyone in the world, not just Indians, are sometimes proven guilty of these things but it's probably more prevalent in our country. Neither I nor you are exempt from this.

And there is a definite reason behind this woman's behavior. The common assumption that everything belong's to 'ME'. 'Me' being a reference to the individual. Everything can be tweaked to one's convenience, that one can get what one wants, that everything can be bought, so on and so forth. As we say here, 'Swalpa Adjust maadi'. It's such a common phrase, often written about as well. Perhaps this girl thought that for some reason it would give me unbounded  happiness to adjust for her in class. Or it just didn't make a friggin' difference to her as long as she was comfortable.

And this feeling extends into so many other situations, oft experienced by everyone. Joining a friend in line despite 20+ people standing behind the friend. Conductors taking 2rs without issuing a ticket of 3rs just so that he'd make 2 bucks and the commuter would save 1rs, and the commuter would probably not refuse coz he/she saves a rupee. Autorickshaw drivers 'fixing' the meters so that it shows more than minimum fare for less than minimum distance and then fighting righteously for it. Yes, i have sometimes jumped a queue but that was so long ago and i've stopped since. I have asked for a ticket despite being tempted with a rupee being saved and fought pretty badly with autorickshaw drivers when they have overcharged. But i probably still do falter sometimes...

Guess Russel Peters is correct, Indians are just plain lazy. We don't like waiting, we like the easy way out even if it means cheating and causing inconvenience to someone else. It would've taken a very little amount of conscience on that girl's part to graciously stand behind but guess she lacks it.

And how many other occurrences? Over-taking from the left and then arguing that they are right in spite of causing a dent on another's vehicle, dismantling railway tracks to steal the steel, stealing power from power lines in remote areas, billing things twice at local food provision stores... The list can go on and on with these petty little things. Why is it that most people think that everything in the world, natural or man made is their property?

I also agree that not everyone is like this. However, it is also true that there are more of these wrong-doers in comparison. The GenNext (you and me), is a changed lot you say? I agree, only partly. I wouldn't say lack of education is the reason. There are many people who have a degree but would still take things for granted. It's awareness that's required. A large part of us are in other countries and follow the rules of the country we live in to the T but we refuse to apply the same ideology when we return to our own country. We would never honk in another country or speed up or break other traffic rules there. But what happens when we return, we break rules, we squeeze our vehicle inbetween 2 others just to get slightly ahead. There are few, very very few of those would be sticklers to rules. Sadly they get cursed at when they do so by the rest of the traffic. It's like that same old corruption story, as long as you're in the system you HAVE to be corrupt. Similarly, as long as you are in traffic you HAVE to break the rules. :)

It's high time we stopped calling the government employees corrupt. No I am not going on the same lines of 'Stop bribing to eliminate corruption'. To bribe, we have to get to the govt. office. And to get there, we have to cross traffic and stand in line awaiting our turn. And i bet most people lose the battle when they break traffic rules and jump queues. You don't even have to get to the govt. official. And when you do, don't look at him as if he's guilty. Coz we are just as corrupt as he is, albeit in a slightly different way.

I opine that our battle against this word 'corruption', a defunct system, has to start at our homes, streets, buses... Stop indulging in these tiny little acts as they go a long way in altering our school of thought and for the next generation as well. If we don't, we will still have to see our children migrate to 'phoreen' country and rave and rant about how organized it is, how clean it is while someone still continues dumping garbags 5ft outside an overflowing street dustbin, while compounds of some unfortunate building turn into well, toilets

Yes it's a layered country, far too many people with obstinate mind sets to change. But is so wish it does. I guess we all wish it does...