Civic Sense in India: Zero Shame, Zero Responsibility

People were seen stealing flower pots in Lucknow right after the Prime Minister’s program concluded.

Not a riot.
Not hunger.
Not desperation.

Just casual theft of public property—and not by the poor, but by people from economically sound households.

This is not shocking anymore.
This is India’s routine embarrassment.

Municipalities remove flower pots after events not because of weather—but because they know Indians will steal them. That alone should shame us as a society.

Do We Even Deserve the Freedom We Got?

Let’s say the uncomfortable part out loud.

Sometimes it feels like Indians were given freedom before learning responsibility.

We shout about democracy, rights, nationalism, culture, and being the “world’s oldest civilisation.”
But when nobody is watching, we behave like petty thieves.

Public property becomes:

• “Free stuff”
• “No owner”
• “Why not take it?”

This is exactly why we end up needing someone to rule us instead of trusting us to self-govern.

Temporary Beautification Is a Bigger Lie

I do not support the circus of beautification before politician visits.

Why should:

• Roads be repaired only for VVIP movement?
• Parks be cleaned only for cameras?
• Walls be painted only when power arrives?

This temporary setup is a criminal waste of public money.

But here’s the brutal truth:
Those roads, parks, and walls will not be touched again until another big politician plans a visit—because we destroy everything in between.

If roads don’t have flowers, accept it.
Stop pretending.
Stop living in a fake, decorated India for one day.

Civic Sense: A Big Fat Zero in India

Civic sense in India is 0, irrespective of class.

Rich or poor.
Educated or uneducated.
Urban or rural.

No sense of responsibility.
No respect for surroundings.
No shame in littering, stealing, vandalizing.

We worship God in filthy places, forgetting that every religion values cleanliness.

And then we act surprised when public spaces rot.

Why Japan Works and India Doesn’t

Look at Japan.

Civic sense is not optional there.
It’s taught from kindergarten.

Children learn:

• Cleanliness
• Queue discipline
• Traffic rules
• Fire safety
• Evacuation drills
• Respect for public property

What is taught early gets etched for life.

In India?
We teach marks, ranks, competition—and forget basic humanity.

Then we wonder why even corporate professionals behave like thieves.
Yes, you’ll find the same mindset in offices, courts, traffic, queues, and boardrooms.

Education without civic values is just literacy, not civilisation.

The Real Reason People Steal Public Property

Let’s be honest.

Almost 99% of stolen public items end up in the trash.

People don’t steal because they need them.
They steal because they can.

That momentary thrill of getting something “FREE” feels like a win—but it exposes how low our civic consciousness really is.

Public property is meant for everyone.
When it is stolen, damaged, or thrown away—we all lose.

What’s worse?
Such behaviour goes unnoticed and unpunished, encouraging more misuse.

A Society With No Consequences Will Collapse

This mindset is dangerous.

No sense of belonging.
No accountability.
No fear of consequences.

Admissions, jobs, traffic rules, parking, queues, courts, FIRs, licences, certifications, freebies, political influence—even entry into places of worship—everything is abused.

Our upper and middle classes set the worst examples, not the best.

And then we dream of becoming a world leader?

A country filled with entitlement, shortcuts, and moral decay cannot lead the world—no matter how loud it shouts.

Stop Fooling the Common Man

Why waste money on flowers for political programs when:

• Schools lack infrastructure
• Colleges lack teachers
• Education quality is collapsing

Organisers earn millions.
Public money is burned.
Common citizens are treated as background extras.

This VVIP-only beautification screams one message:
The common man has no value.

A Direct Message to Narendra Modi Ji

Modi ji, slogans won’t fix this.

We don’t need more campaigns.
We need strict enforcement.

Steal public property? Heavy fines.
Vandalize civic assets? Mandatory community service.
Litter? Penalise without mercy.

Civic sense will not grow from posters—it grows from consequences.

Final Truth

People stealing flower pots in Lucknow is not a small act.
It reflects a deep civic failure.

Development is not just infrastructure.
It is behaviour.

Without discipline, responsibility, and respect for shared resources, no city—no nation—can stay clean, beautiful, or civilized.

Cheap behaviour destroys expensive development.

Until Indians learn to respect what belongs to everyone,
Until we stop behaving well only when cameras are watching,

We will remain a country with potential—
but no civic spine.

And honestly?

That’s something to be ashamed of.

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