Tag Archives: Chennai Central Station

Eco, Environment, Food for Thought, Health, Humanitarianism, India, Post A Day 2012, Tamil, Tamilnadu, This is Life, United States

Be a Lion in your homeland, spit and shit anywhere you want – Part 3: Keeping your surrounding clean is a sin.

May 9, 2012 tvaraj 3 Comments

By T.V. Antony Raj

*Heaven is here. Keeping your surrounding clean is a sin.*

After living and working for three years in the US, my young friend Joe is now back in India. The emails he sent me prompted me to write a series of articles titled “Be a Lion in your homeland, spit and shit anywhere you want”.

Dear Uncle Raj,

Greetings from Joe!

This morning around 6 a.m., the train stopped at Katpadi station for a long halt. My hunger kicked me out to buy something to eat to break my fast.

I walked on the platform towards the engine and found a stall where I bought a bottle of mango juice and a pack of breakfast neatly packed in a paper carton box with silver foiled coating. It had 3 idlis and 1 small vada, accompanied by sambar and a mint chutney.

I rushed to my coach, closed the screens on my coupé and started gobbling them, unsure of the taste, but to tackle my growling tummy. The sambar although sucked, the mint chutney definitely needs a great mention.

When I was done, it was time to trash it.

I searched thro’ the compartment for a trash-can or a bin, but failed in vain.

I went into the toilet and there was no bin.

I got down on the platform, walked around like a vagabond searching for a bin/trash-can.

Walked thro’ front and back along-side the train in-search of a trash-can, but failed again in vain.

At last, I was forced to throw my trash on the adjoining track, which was already a trash-dump.

I felt awkward and humiliated. I had no other option. I returned to my seat.

Now, people in India are bent on globalization. They are emulating US and the European countries, by changing their culture and habits. Indians now eat at KFCs & McD’s, wear Hugo Boss & Gucci, drive Mercedes, BMW, Porsche & Maserati; but are not worried about their civic responsibilities, and do not have to the inclination to keep their environment clean and hygienic.

Is the enforcement needed to tell us not to spit, shit, and litter anywhere we like, especially in public places?

When I look around here in India – be it a village, a town, a city, or a metro – I see nothing but heaps and mountains of trash. Here, one is free to throw whatever garbage wherever and when. It is the done thing. To many, keeping one’s surrounding clean seems to be a sin.

I’m honestly doubtful if India could attract tourists from other countries with such a slovenly begrimed environment. If US was dumped like a dumpster (as India is portrayed here by me), will our NRI folks stay for long over there?

I’m feeling more stressed-out in the last couple of days after coming here with all these happening around me.

If only there is a sense of civic duty in everyone’s mind and if basic amenities as simple as a trash can be provided in public places then we can truthfully say, “Heaven is here… in India.”

Love & Prayers

Joe

Be a Lion in your homeland, spit and shit anywhere you want! – Part 1: No traffic sense, no civic sense, no respect for a fellow human. (tvaraj.wordpress.com)
Be a Lion in your homeland, spit and shit anywhere you want – Part 2: Clamped hands (tvaraj.wordpress.com)
Better to be a Lion… (tvaraj.wordpress.com)
A train ride in India – but where the hell is that noise coming from…? (andrealeber.com)

Eco, Entertainment, Food for Thought, Health, Humanitarianism, India, Post A Day 2012, T.V. Antony Raj, Tamil, Tamilnadu, This is Life, Travel, United States

Be a Lion in your homeland, spit and shit anywhere you want – Part 2: Clamped

May 8, 2012 tvaraj 1 Comment

. By T.V. Antony Raj

Dear Uncle Raj,

Greetings from Joe!

I’m writing this email to share my experiences with you on how one’s hands are clamped from being more responsible towards one’s civic duty and feel ashamed about the same.

Last night after having checked-out from the hotel in Singasandra, Bengaluru, I was on a cab towards Yevantpur station to board my train back to Chennai.

A few km after we left the hotel on the road, there was an accident scene. A motorist hit and run by some vehicle.

People surrounded, watching and gazing as to how the fellow-human being is gonna pass-away. I could hardly make out the age of the victim, but I could see the nerves from his hands and body throwing his entire body from the ground to a li’l above seeking help.

I asked the cab driver if he could call the ambulance or do something, who in turn responded, “Sir, these things happen quite normal every day. so nothing to worry, someone will take care of him”.

I was shocked on one hand but felt more shameful on the other hand that I felt so helpless in the situation. I couldn’t walk out of my comfort zone to hop off the car and help him too, as I was on the rush to the train station to board the train.

The car had to take a detour (basically a long u-turn after a mile and a half), whilst still, I looked-out thro’ the window to see if the victim sought some help, but couldn’t make out what happened.

If only there was civic sense, that poor victim of the accident would have immediately been taken by medical services.

Love & Prayers

Joe

“Be a Lion in your homeland, spit and shit anywhere you want” – Part 1: No traffic sense, no civic sense, no respect for a fellow human. (tvaraj.wordpress.com)
Be a Lion in your homeland, spit and shit anywhere you want” – Part 3: Keeping your surrounding clean is a sin. (tvaraj.wordpress.com)
Better to be a Lion… (tvaraj.wordpress.com)

Eco, Environment, Food for Thought, Health, Humanitarianism, India, Post A Day 2012, T.V. Antony Raj, Tamil, Tamilnadu, This is Life, Travel, tvaraj, United States

Be a Lion in your homeland, spit and shit anywhere you want! – Part 1: No traffic sense, no civic sense, no respect for a fellow human.

May 7, 2012 tvaraj 4 Comments

. By T.V. Antony Raj

I am now in Elkridge, Maryland, USA. I received this mail 9 days ago and I have reproduced it here after relieving it of certain personal messages. Here it is:

Dear Uncle Raj,

Greetings from Joe.

At the outset, let me convey the fact that I miss you all. There has never been a day or moment that I felt away from my family when I was there with you all.

I’ve tried to have face time with you all to see and talk to you folks, but haven’t been much successful. It’s either the internet connection or my pre-occupation with things that need be taken care over here.

How”s Aunty doing?…. you both make a great pair and have always been a great role model for us all. I’ll wait to receive you both in Chennai. Please share with Aunty that I’m reminded of her “Achaar” and let her know that Grills and Kababs are waiting for her in Chennai.

Uncle, Chennai’s heat wasn’t a piece of cake for me. The amount of pollution and dust and especially the nasty foul pungent odour which I sailed thro‘ in Chennai Central railway station to board Shatabdi to Bengaluru … People are still the same.

Spitting, shitting and littering all around.

No traffic sense, no civic sense, no respect for a fellow human.

I’m getting boiled going thro‘ all these, however, I’m trying to turn my ears a li’l deaf and my eyes a li’l blind to keep myself off from all these.

I’m unable to read your articles these days, coz scarce internet connectivity. I have an Airtel 3G data card with which I’m writing this email while on the train to Bengaluru.

Hope all is well with you. Keep writing.

Love & Prayers

Joe