Introspection on breaching civil norms and courtesies would go a long way in ameliorating society
Published: 17th September 2022 06:46 AM | Last Updated: 18th September 2022 11:53 AM | A+ A A-
Girls travelling without helmets. (Photo | A Sanesh, EPS)
KOCHI: It is not unusual to spot people around us breaking rules or bypassing norms. Not wearing a helmet/seatbelt; overtaking from the wrong side; using the mobile phone while driving; haphazard/illegal parking; ignoring zebra crossing; excessive honking; smoking/spitting/littering in public places... the list goes on.
Making an honest list of instances when one flouted rules or civic norms in the recent past would be a worthwhile introspective exercise. Nobody’s perfect, you see? (Self-righteous saints, kindly ignore.) A recent shocker that underlined the importance of following norms was former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry’s death in a car crash on September 5. He was travelling in the rear seat, without wearing a seat belt.
Two days ago, the Kerala Police published a report that noted that 48 major accidents occurred during Onam festivities (September 7 to 11). As per the data, 29 deaths were reported in crashes involving two-wheelers (20 incidents), four-wheelers (12), auto-rickshaws (6), lorries (5), KSRTC buses (3), and private buses (2).
A police social media post highlighted that 11 of the 29 victims were two-wheeler riders who were not wearing helmets.“Every law has a purpose. These are for the greater good, and most often for the individual and society’s safety,” stresses Kochi Police Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam.“Rules are made to reduce social costs such as families losing a sole breadwinner, children becoming orphans, and so on. Recently, we lost an international-level karate master in an avoidable accident at Eloor; he was crossing the road. He used to teach hundreds of children for free.”
Head of traffic safety at National Transportation Planning and Research Centre, Sanjay Kumar, concurs, citing the “dangerous trend” of using mobile phones while driving. “Using handheld phones is a fineable offence, yet many people continue to ignore the rule,” he notes.“Talking on the phone while riding or driving distracts us. Using Bluetooth or headphones is not considered a violation, but the impact is similar.”
Sanjay says pedestrians, too, often violate basic road safety norms. “They often walk on the wrong side of the road, and do not wait for the signals or look for zebra lines while crossing,” he adds. “There are no rules to penalise pedestrians, but traffic authorities should sensitise them. There need to be sustained awareness campaigns.”
‘Waste bin set on fire’ The points these officials drive in above apply not just to traffic or road safety norms -- but also in terms of civility, being a better society.For instance, would not our cities be a tad less messier if people were a tad more civic-minded? “Well, there lies the harsh truth,” says social activist Ranjit Thampy.
“If all people were civic-conscious, public places would be cleaner. We would not see heaps of garbage and plastic waste in our cities. Vacant plots would not turn into dumping yards.”Thampy is aghast at destruction or defacing of public property, too. “I recently saw a charred waste bin at Kochi’s Marine Drive. Someone set it afire,” he says. “Why do people damage public property? Maybe they are anti-social elements or drug addicts. It’s sad.”
Social observers like Thampy also point to glorification of being nonconformist in Malayali society. In fact, not adhering to norms is viewed as ‘cool’ or ‘thug life’ among sections of the youth, they note. “That’s due to peer pressure and low self-esteem,” says Nagaraju. “Psychologically, the violators crave respect for something nobody usually does. They seek to feign fearlessness, and believe they are seen as cool or macho. It’s like attention-seeking disorder.”
Action should start at home What could be done to shake up our society? The most popular answer is: get tough, enforce rules strictly. A senior journalist points to the case of two-wheeler modifications. “There was a trend of replacing standard silencers of motorbikes with loud, illegal ones,” he notes. “As the authorities started imposing hefty fines (`1,000 and above), the trend faded away.”
High Court lawyer Aneesh agrees. “Malayalis live all over the world. Do you think they would dare to litter the roads, or violate any rules?” he asks. “No, because they know they would land in trouble. At times, strict enforcement is needed to rein in violators. This would help condition a better society in the long run. We have had enough of campaigns and awareness programmes; what we need now is action.” Action needs to start at home, says sociologist Rekha S. “The education system and schools have a large role to play in moulding a better society. But there is no better place than home to educate the future generation on being civil,” she says. “The period between the age of three and ten is crucial. That’s the age to inculcate basic civic discipline, courtesy in them. If a child watches his/her parent throwing, say, a candy wrapper in the living room or a public place, he/she would do the same tomorrow.”
Managing trustee of the NGO We Grow Forest, Aparna Anand, notes that people are quick to throw up “excuses” for minor breaches of civility. For instance, people often argue that they litter as there are no dustbins around.
“Yes, the system is inefficient. But, on the other hand, citizens can do their bit. For instance, one wants to throw a wrapper or tissue, and there is no bin nearby. Solution is not littering, but carrying it in one’s pocket or bag until spotting a bin.” With inputs from Shainu Mohan
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