An Indian travel vlogger's video comparing cleanliness in India and Hong Kong has gone viral, sparking a discussion on civic responsibility. In the clip shared on Instagram, vlogger Samal is seen walking along a pristine riverside in Hong Kong while pointing out what exactly makes foreign countries feel more "developed". "Kya hai foreign? Kuch bhi nahi hai foreign mein (What is so great about foreign countries? They have nothing). If we want to turn our cities into this, we can do so very easily. All we need is support from the government and the people. We have got it all - tall buildings, greenery, and rivers," he says in the video.
What's missing? According to him, the missing piece is basic public discipline. "The only difference is cleanliness and civic sense. The roads here are clean. The flowerbeds only have flowers, not discarded gutka packets. Nobody has spat pan masala on them to change their colour. Nobody plucks flowers or steals plants," he says, as he shows spotless pavements and well-maintained flower beds.
Further, the vlogger notes that the rivers in Hong Kong are free from plastic waste and garbage. "This is all a foreign country has, and we pay so much to come here. We could replicate this at home by learning from these countries. These might not seem like big issues, but such small actions are pushing India back. We are just as capable," he concludes.
The video has struck a chord with social media users who agreed with the vlogger and called for a better civic sense.
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"Well said. We Indians have everything, except the much needed Civic sense," one user wrote. "When govt tried to give something new, we get amazed and everyone will just spoil it within few days. Example is vande bharat express. Some people just cant digest new developments," commented another.
"I wish this could be replicated in India but we have no civic sense. We are too busy fighting over caste, religion and language to focus on such issues," remarked a third user.
"I agree with you as I was also disappointed visiting Hong Kong. Felt nothing wow about the place. Similar malls. And they do have gallis with people who are poor too," one user wrote.
