A society flourishes only when its people, both at individual as well as at the collective level are civilized in its true sense. It is the habits, the manners and the etiquettes which differentiate civilized people from the uncivilized ones. The societies of the world which have civilized people are the most developed and progressive. So far as our society is concerned, I think, we are the most uncivilized people on the face of the earth. You will see its examples both at the personal levels as well as at the collective levels.

Let me cite here some examples, which I guess, you all will agree upon.
The trash from our houses is being dumped upon on streets and roads as if any open space is a dumping site. Don't we see diapers, wrappers, bottles and other plastic waste and the waste from our kitchens lying on roads and open fields? Even, most of the trash of our houses finds its way in water bodies- streams, ponds, rivers etc. Have not we encroached roads, streams, rivers etc. The recent Sukhnag, Beerwah tragedy has its roots in the encroachment of water bodies, though it might be unpalatable to many.
Our public and government buildings also depict the sorry state of affairs. If we visit a public or government office, we see broken doors, windows, and broken panes. The washrooms in public spaces, markets, bus stops and railway stations, government offices and hospitals are the dirtiest, I guess. Believe me; I have not yet seen a washroom in a government hospital which was fully intact. If the tap is working, the commode has the problem. If the commode is working, the flush is not working. If all these things are intact, the bolt is broken. If the bolt is fixed, the handle is missing. If you find all these things properly fixed, you will find a mug missing. The lamp, the exhaust fan, the geyser, the dust bin has the same story. Sometimes, I feel that hospital washrooms are dumping grounds where everything is being dumped.
With every passing day, the flow of traffic has increased many folds on our roads but unfortunately the road infrastructure is still somehow on the traditional lines though some feasible changes cannot be ignored. In this backdrop, we need to show utmost care and proper driving etiquettes not ignoring the safety of others for personal convenience. But we are doing contrary everywhere- zigzag driving, tailgating, over speeding, cutting off other drivers, not using turn signals, impatience…is the order of the day. Our driving etiquettes speak volumes about how civilized we are.
The above examples are just a tip of the iceberg. When we dig deep, we find that our individuality is at crossroads. Our family life is disintegrating. Our social bonds and connections are weakening. Our ethical and moral values are vanishing. Our religious and human principles are becoming submissive at the altar of the unchecked modernity.
All said, this speaks volumes about how much developed and civilized we are!

Email:--------------------------khandaybilal12@gmail.com