10 Uneducated habits of Educated Indians

Consistently over my growing up years I have noticed a few uneducated things that educated Indians do. I have not seen much of a visible change through the years, though there is a visible change in the lifestyle of our times.

Here are a few habits I have recorded which have been invariant as long as I can remember.

1] Littering: Making the roads a dustbin is subconscious embedded in us ...atleast most of us. Be it a guy from a high flying car or 2 wheeler driving techie, they all do this. Wonder what will it take to wake this subconscious?!?

2] Spitting: Some people are SO aware of the environment, that they feel it their duty to stop the wastage of water.. albeit in their own ridiculous way. So they spit right wherever they feel like. On the road, pavement, inside buildings, staircase walls...basically everywhere where one would not need to water it away.

3]Act as mock spectators: There are so many times wen we see accidents happening on the roads, & we just act as spectators. Honestly, people who are not that educated often are seen helping these people in need. Wonder where do we leave that education to? To plain indifference?

4]Talking on the phone while driving. Now almost EVERYBODY does this. With Bluetooth or without. When there is a rule, shouldn’t it be followed? If not for the law, atleast becoz its for the safety of us & others!

5] When we want to get our work done, its OK to bribe, but on the same, when there is a discussion on, we never cease to complain & complain. I do agree this is really easier said than done. Staying in the same pond, we too do invariably get forced to drink the same water, but then don’t sound as if you are Harishchandra’s avatar & crib about India. If it means that strongly to you, abide by it!

6] Indifference is our middle name: If we see anything around us which, as being educated citizens require attention, we shall only provide proverbial comfort! That is, IF we aren’t getting late for am appointment, job, movie, etc..then we think of providing help. Else, its generally, “too sad, but I have other things to attend to ,not my business."

7]Free ka maal wastage: Everybody loves freebies. Including me. : But how do you handle it? Many times we pick up tissue papers from the hotels, free food at work place, fill up our plates & not complete it & waste off half of it. Even the xerox'es at work place, we waste copies of it...just becoz its free. Why? Why??

8] Acknowledgement: While most will bend down & not only fake smile.., but smother artificial compliments to people who make a personal difference for gains; I wonder why is it so difficult to even acknowledge a nod, a smile to some attender at a restaurant, a security guard at a theater, the watchman of the building. Surely it will not take away any high qualification/money by doing that.

9] Exercising rights: OK. We are in a democracy. So everybody is allowed to exercise their free will.
But when I see perfectly well educated graduates/MBA’s/CA’ S..[yes I did confirm the levels of education from the plenty of non voters! Coz I could not believe these are educated people!!] not exercising their votes; but rather talking like some buffoons from a place even further down from villages, I am lost for reactions. What is education to them???? Just getting a paycheck of a so & so amount? Or where there will be some kind of something for them? By voting isin't there a lot for them? I do not get that, But certainly are some rules in democracy too right? I wonder why isin’t voting made a compulsory law? Coz as it is, though with or without the law, many things don’t work here, atleast it will make some tiny winy difference. Atleast that!?

10. Driving etiquette: More than etiquette [I wonder how many people can relate that word with 'Driving'!], its about basic manners. When there is a car/bike breakdown of a hapless person on the road, [God forbid if it is a busy road!!] the poor s/he would rather hope to dissolve into the ground beneath, than hearing the impatience in the other commuters vehicle horns & glares! There is rarely a sentiment like, stopping by & offering help. But there is ALWAYS the sentiment of blazing the horns away & act insensate.

These are the few things which I so hope that slowly yet steadily get out from our society & make us think of ourselves as being 'truly educated.'

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