Walk the thought – The Hindu

A routine morning walk in a city in the western world does not throw many surprises. Day after day, we encounter the same orderly scenes with a streamlined system in place. What is surprising though is the durability of this kind of arrangement over the years, despite many a societal shift and transformation happening elsewhere in other worlds in the name of development.

As I step out of the home, enjoying the nip in the air and the mildly-warm, kind sunlight, the perfect nature of the terrain uplifts me. The clear, azure sky is an assurance that the air quality index is more than satisfactory here. Flanked by lush vegetation, the smooth well-laid roads seem to pamper one’s legs, propelling them to walk more. No carelessly thrown litter anywhere, no vendors shouting out their wares through mikes, no stray cow or dog moving around menacingly and above all, no sign of suspicious bike riders sidling up from behind to snatch away my gold chain. The traffic is polite, pausing and making way for the pedestrians without honking impatiently. In fact, I feel embarrassed to hold up a whole line of cars while pressing the pedestrian push button to cross the road.

Of course, back where I come from, Chennai, if I attempted to do the same act, I would be subjected to a whole lot of choicest abuses by angry drivers, demanding to know whether the road belonged to my grandpa. That’s why probably, they never entertained the idea of providing such a facility for the pedestrian. It would be viciously smashed to smithereens at the earliest, for sure!

While soaking in the ambience, the fickle mind feels somewhat dispirited and gloomy as it compares all this to the conditions back home. Where is the connect though? It’s like comparing apples and oranges since we ought to keep the population of each country in mind. It would be like juxtaposing an overcrowded two-room apartment that is bound to be messy and chaotic with a huge luxurious mansion whose occupants are tucked away in secluded rooms, while the staff take care of its upkeep diligently.

Yet, I cannot help ask myself whether as citizens, don’t we too deserve a cleaner environment, unpolluted air and relative quietude in our cities? Are we less demanding when we could insist on better roads and parks? Or is it something to do with our lack of self-discipline in public life that is reflected in the way we live — dumping waste sloppily anywhere and everywhere, encroaching on public spaces and converting the whole city into an open-air toilet.

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