Culture and Behaviour

Even though I am used to it by now (3 years after returning to India), it still amazes me that people here shove around others to get their way ahead, especially in queues (sorry, I mean non-queues !). A prime example occurs at airports all around the country. Since Indian infrastructure is not up to world-class standards, multiple exit points to the tarmac after the flight is called do not exist – this means passengers from various flight counters bunch up towards one exit gate which is manned by one single security man, who is challenged with checking each person’s boarding pass, and the security stamp on his/her piece of baggage.

I saw last week that passengers tried to crowd around this sole security guy, and even tried to slip away into the waiting buses. Prime example of inefficiency and indiscipline. Inefficiency because the airport authority could have opened atleast two exit gates, as there are as many as 10 flight counters, and many a time multiple flights are called simultaneously. Indiscipline, because Indians just cannot fall in line in a queue system. They are probably afraid that their respective flights will leave without them, or they are paranoid of being passed over – something untoward may yet happen to them if they follow procedures and adopt discipline.

This happens everywhere, and what is more shocking is that educated urban people in good corporate positions tend to do exactly the same thing – there is no thought as to what is the proper behavioural norm, as there is no respect for the same from anyone around. If there is any such guy around who is patiently waiting to join the queue, he will be duly ignored. I saw a Chinese person holding his passport and boarding pass in the middle of this medley, and he was slowly and surely getting chucked out of the queue – he did not seem to understand the Indian Queuing Theory which was in full force out there. I had no option but to get pushed towards one direction – the exit door…….I went by the tide, though I did not like the 3 guys around me pushing me around. I was worried about potential crumpling of my shirt as I was going for a day trip to meet customers !

The same behaviour is replicated all over the place where several lines of people converge on limited space – like there are typically 7 lines of cars trying to squeeze into 3 lanes of a highway, just outside my building – amazing how they do it successfully. Constant horns, screeching sounds, centimetres of gap, irritated looks, occasional hands out of the car, “lorry manouevering boy” on the left side of the bus driver beating his side of the lorry to scare other drivers, et al……….just fascinating to see all these from a vantage point – I mean, from the back seat !

So, where is our so-called refined “Culture” ? Over 5,000 years old ??

At the end of this Culture argument, the real fact is that all of us have turned very selfish, very materialistic. The Spirit of Yesteryears, the Culture, the Religiosity, etc., have departed from our genes quite sometime ago. We just wish to get ahead everywhere, completely oblivious of others.

I saw vestiges of such behaviour in Singapore, especially at lift lobbies.

The orderly behaviour coming from a refined, cultured upbringing normally cannot be mandated, except in small places like Singapore. In Western cultures, it has always been heartening to see the orderly behaviour of people, drivers, and even kids. Just look at the way car drivers handle a circle junction, or what we call “round tana” here. And, compare it with the way drivers behave in Delhi at similar junctions – you know what I am talking about. Might is not always right in Western societies. Look at the way cars move in School Zones in the U.S. – just 20 mph, and very very careful. Look at the way drivers treat Zebra Crossings.

Where is Indian Culture ?

So, one has to come to the conclusion, though regretfully, that Culture is missing in India (except at weddings, and heritage monuments). Peoples’ behaviour is hardly determined by the Culture to which they belong. Refined behaviour that we encounter in five-star hotels and at corporate offices, are illusionary. These norms of behaviour disappear instantaneously when these same folks come out of those “elite” environments.

May be Culture still exists in Indian Villages, but I am yet to experience the same.

Have a great weekend,

Cheers

Vijay Srinivasan
4th July 2009
Mumbai