I live on the same road as a prominent and well-respected school. The school buses which make the lives of us residents miserable all have huge messages about environmental awareness painted on the sides. But whenever you walk past the students, the first thing that hits you is their complete lack of concern for other people around them. They push, shove and hog every available bit of pavement, main road and by-lane. Even worse is their terrible addiction to littering. They buy foodstuffs from the shops and chuck the wrappings on the road, completely visually challenged to the dustbin standing next to them in silent admonishment. They throw bottles and wrappings from their bus and car windows. Needless to say, none of their chauffeurs know how to park or how to drive through hordes of school children.

I would hazard a guess that not all these children who cannot follow simple rules of courtesy and civic sense are related to Congress politicians, the main corrupters of Indian society according to our anti-corruption activists. But they do represent a particular Indian attitude where anything goes if you want to get ahead. Rules are meant for other people if they are to be acknowledged at all.