Running on the Road

Running on Road

On 2^nd October I went to Poorv Delhi Khel Parisar for a trial run.  It was closed on that day due to Gandhi Jayanthi.  At the time when I reached there, I was the only “out” standing person at the gate.  Since the Security Guard is my friend and fan, I thought that he will allow the runners and walkers in as is being done on Monday, the weekly holiday.  In the meantime two more members came.  Security Guard informed us that they were having strict instructions not to allow entry of anyone. However, they allowed me to keep my carry bag inside and I put the water bottle containing energy drinks inside the Iron Gate so that I can take it from outside whenever I required. I started sunning on the main road connecting GTB hospital to Tahirpur. It is a wide straight road. Running on the straight road has a psychological advantage because since the road is visible for a long distance, you will feel that the destination is near, though it is far. I did nonstop run of 12 KM (except drink break).

Due to a weekly bazaar on the previous day, the road was dirty and filthy as waste items were strewn all around. We Indians are masters in polluting and making dirty of public places, whether it is roads, rivers, lakes, parks or any other public place. They lack the courtesy and civic sense to keep a bag or container to put the waste and even in places where dust bins are provided, many people including the educated people throw the waste hay-wire.  When a park is rented out for marriage or some other function, next day it will be difficult to walk on the footpath as food particles were being thrown all around. It requires some special skill to make it so dirty as even animals will have better civic sense. The same peoples becomes civilized, law abiding, obedient, disciplined etc when they visit a foreign soil because there the punishment is heavy.  It is a pity that majority of the people will be disciplined under pressure or fear only. DMRC is able to maintain cleanliness and they are able to maintain a separate culture since beginning because of constant counseling and also due tom the fact that penalty is heavy. What is the difference between an illiterate person and an educated person so far as the civilization is concerned when both will do or undo something only under pressure or fear only? Unfortunately, our education system failed to inculcate couture, ethics, manners, civic sense, honesty, integrity, morality etc and its primary duty is to produce money making machine only. .  

Government spends crores of rupees on cleaning of rivers and other public places. Half of the amount can be saved, if people show little civic sense. Heavy penalty should be imposed from those who pollute public places so that this amount should be sufficient to do the cleaning operation. But the million (or billion) dollar question is who will bell the cat. Let us not try to be on the top of the world only on negative aspects  like Road accidents, robbery, dacoity, murder, gang rape, scams, scandals,  pollution, adulteration and last but not least corruption.