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ShareWith great freedom comes great responsibility, goes the democratic war cry, repeated on screen for our generation by Peter Parker, the alter ego ofSpiderman. Yet how many of us have had the chance to be a part of the larger process that embodies this principle?
Thankfully, this is no longer the case with Mumbai. The dwellers of the island city are becoming more and more responsible. The decision of the BMC to make pet owners responsible for their pet's poop at Marine Drive is one such instance.
Mumbai perhaps is the first city in the country to have such a rule. The administration had ordered for a ban on walking canines because, many owners would not clean up after their pets had dirtied the area.
The locals vehemently argued about the rights of canines and their need for space and assured the BMC that they would scoop their poop if necessary. This must be the first time someone is arguing about the fundamental rights of animals.
In many ways, Mumbai always seems to have a knack of setting many firsts. By making a citizen responsible for the behaviour of their pets (including clearing the poop) the city is finally admitting that it is inhabited by grown up and mature citizens.
Another shinning example of what collective responsibility can achieve is the decision of over one lakh school going children in the city and state to shun crackers on Diwali.
Choosing light over sound and the crisp autumn air over the Diwali smog, the children are leading the way in responsible healthy living. The act of children, on the initiative of an NGO, doesn't reek of government activism or judicial intervention, in an issue that is primarily ecological. As a child, crackers had great appeal to me and I couldn't think of a Diwali without the fireworks. But this generation, is certainly setting a benchmark. Not only noise pollution, menace to animals, senior citizens and fatal accidents will be mitigated. It shows the love of a citizen for the city. It also shows responsible behaviour.
At the level of individuals too, there have been some curious developments. A large number of driving licence-holding citizens are signing up for a simulator-aided quality driving skills in a driving school just begun by a car manufacturer. At a time, when death comes most easily on the road, thanks to someone else's fault, learning driving etiquette is certainly a responsible act.
From these three incidents it can be evidenced that Mumbai has always reacted to problems in a unique way and innovated pioneering solutions. Innovation seems to be in the DNA of the city. This is what makes the metropolis a great place to stay.
