In his post, Singh states that Indians do not litter due to a lack of civic sense. Rather, he contends, they litter because they genuinely believe cleaning is not their responsibility. According to him, this belief has been ingrained over generations through the caste system. Singh points out that caste in India was never only about social hierarchy but fundamentally about the division of labour, where cleaning was relegated to the lowest rung.
He argues that this historical conditioning continues to influence behaviour subconsciously. When individuals discard garbage in public spaces and walk away, Singh claims their minds do not even register the need to clean up. He attributes this to a deep-seated association of cleaning with lower social status. “You go to a park, people will eat, throw garbage, walk away. Not because they’re unaware. Their brain literally doesn’t even register that they should pick it up. Why. Because somewhere deep inside, they think cleaning is a ‘lower’ person’s job,” he wrote.
Expanding his observation, Singh noted that the pattern is visible across locations, including hill stations, rivers, and tourist spots. “Same everywhere - Hill stations, rivers, tourist spots. Trash it and leave. Not laziness. Conditioning,” he added.
Drawing a comparison with Singapore, Singh highlighted a contrasting civic culture. He observed that people there clean their own tables, carry tissues, and dispose of waste responsibly. According to him, this difference stems from a mindset where individuals do not assume that cleaning is someone else’s duty. He further remarked, “Compare this with somewhere like Singapore - You eat at a place, people clean their own table. They carry tissues, wipe it, and throw garbage properly. Why? Because they don’t think it’s someone else’s job. Even Sri Lanka feels cleaner than India!”
Singh also dismissed government-led initiatives aimed at addressing cleanliness. He argued that campaigns such as Swachh Bharat cannot resolve an issue rooted in identity rather than infrastructure. According to him, increasing the number of dustbins would have little impact without a fundamental shift in mindset. “And then we pretend it’s a Swachh Bharat problem. You can run a hundred Swachh Bharat campaigns. Put dustbins every ten steps. Nothing changes. Because the problem is not infrastructure. It’s identity,” he concluded.
The post has generated significant debate online, with users sharply divided over his claims. While some supported his perspective, others challenged the framing. One user argued, “If upper caste litter because they think lower caste will clean, then parts of villages where lower castes live must be cleaner. It is the opposite in real…It takes two generations to get it done if we start from schools and stop blaming caste for everything.” Another comment suggested, “I’ve always believed it’s a privilege issue more than a civic sense issue. When people grow up thinking public spaces aren’t their responsibility, entitlement takes over, and accountability vanishes.”
Further dissent came from users rejecting the caste-based explanation altogether. “Caste has nothing to do with this. Most people have adequate civic sense (including cleanliness). It's only about 10% of the population that lacks these things,” one wrote. Another added, “Same goes to people who keep complaining India is not growing. They just want to complain, the day they all decide to work hard. Nobody can stop India. India's growth is in the hands of the people of India, not the government of India.”
This report is based on user-generated content from social media. LiveMint has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them. The debate underscores the complexity of India’s cleanliness challenge, highlighting a deep divide in public perception over whether the issue stems from systemic conditioning, individual responsibility, or broader socio-economic factors.
About The Author
Comment List