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Learning while Travelling

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By Col JC Sindhwani (Retd)

Travelling and learning can be clubbed as synonyms I feel. Every time ones moves out of home, be it a local outing, a long range outdoor outing or travel abroad for work or holiday, one observes changes and learns something or the other. Some people who miss out on regular sleep due to work compulsions, choose to take a nap while travelling. But I like to observe the areas around while travelling. One gets to see and learn a lot which one cannot do sitting at home.

During my travels abroad, besides the usual sight-seeing and visits to places of interest, I also take note of certain systems in town planning and maintenance which could be adopted in our cities. I will touch upon a few which affect every citizen in day to day life. These are normal observations while one moves about.

ROAD MAINTENANCE. There are hardly any roads with potholes, road cuttings, unscientific speed breakers or manhole covers which are above road levels. The department concerned has a system of regular inspection of areas of responsibility and authority to carry out repairs. They have complete repair materials, work implements, and transport. So, the departments do justice to their work. The public does not have to make calls, hunting out who to contact, and beg while the other end asks you a dozen questions about your complaint. And this procedure is on regular work basis, as and when noticed.

CUTTING/TRIMMING OF BRANCHES STICKING OUT ON ROADS. Here again the department concerned surveys respective areas of responsibility and after identifying the work pattern, starts work on its own. The tree cutters (called tree surgeons because they are well trained, insured and equipped with all required implements), mounted on suitably modified vehicles, move ahead and chop off the protruding branches neatly with mechanical saws. A truck follows behind sweeping and loading the stuff just trimmed into it and moves on. Here, too, the department concerned completes its work as a team. No phone calls to the forest department or Nagar Nigam or Health officer is required by the citizens.

PARKS FOR DOGS. One does not see people walking their dogs on roads, doing their poo at every few yards and chasing vehicles. Localities have parks earmarked for dog lovers to bring their dogs for play and poo. But they all carry a bag with a spade to pick up the poo and deposit it in the designated bins around the park.

HONKING BANS. One hardly gets to hear any horns/honking in the West. All traffic moves quietly in its lane at required speeds. No horns are heard, unlike here where you not only hear a variety of sounds from shrieking to gurgling to a musical play like a Harmonium horn in trucks. (All as an orchestra, with some two wheelers without silencers giving you a discorded drumming sound to fill in for the drums…)! Also, there are no screaming sirens preceding a VIP vehicle, waving red flags to clear roads. In fact, I had on many occasions seen the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh going to their stud farm in South London in their brown Bentley with just one outrider escorting them. Only some solemn functions require extensive fanfare as per protocol.

DISPLAY OF POSTER/BANNERS/BUNTINGS. This culture is not seen around in most countries. Even at festival times a very organised and specified display of banners is allowed. In contrast, we see an unending display of posters on every electric pole especially on main and prominent roads. Be it a Neta’s birthday, or election result greetings, or greetings for any and every festival (which we have an abundance of, throughout the year), or for a visiting neta, etc. One can see numerous faces on banners all year round. Not to miss the Student Union elections which demand their share of poster space, funds and torn shreds of some posters by rival groups littered on the roads.

But the most innovative posters are those which are pasted on government signposts indicating routes to various locations/destinations as guidelines. It is not difficult to identify and punish such agencies as they are on display. But they persist.

In New Zealand, during election time, it was so pleasant to see only a few 3×2 feet boards with a spike stand being carried by the candidates to plant in designated space for a specified time. No other Hulla Gulla. The candidate’s biodata, etc., all fitted in that space for all to see. Later, these are removed and carried away.

The above are only a few observations and comparisons with what we see here. Good features can always be incorporated into our systems here. And most important is to find ways to cut down extravaganza in wastage of funds, keeping the environment clean and the spirit of adopting the motto, “Work is Worship”. A councillor once met me walking in a park in South London, and while chatting he revealed that they have a system of self-inspection of their areas for any repairs/maintenance and they have composite teams to carry out the required works to ensure all systems are in place for the public, for which they are paying their taxes. The public need not approach them, except if there is an emergency.

That explains a lot in a sound and honest work culture, I learned.

(Col JC Sindhwani, Retd, is a resident of Dalanwala since Partition, whose family migrated from Sargodha. He was educated in SJA before joining the Army and retired in 1992)