Absolutely. For a blog like this, photos will make it much more engaging. I’d place them between sections, rather than putting all the images at the top.
Here’s how I’d structure it:
When we talk about civic sense in India, the conversation usually revolves around littering, traffic rules, public cleanliness and queue discipline. But civic sense is much more than that.
It is also about being aware of how our everyday behaviour affects the people around us.
And sometimes, the lack of this awareness can be seen in the smallest and most ordinary situations.
Left, Right… or Wherever There Is Space?
Walk through a crowded market, mall, railway station, temple or any public place and you will often see people moving in completely unpredictable directions.
One person walks towards the left. The person coming from the opposite direction suddenly moves right. You try to move around them—and they move in the same direction again.
Nobody knows who is going where.
The problem isn’t necessarily that people don’t know whether to walk on the left or right.
The problem is that we often don’t pay attention to the movement of people around us.
A little awareness could make crowded spaces much easier for everyone.
Why Stand in the Middle of an Entrance?
Another common sight: someone standing right at the entrance of a shop, restaurant, temple or public building.
They may be talking to someone, checking their phone, waiting for someone or simply deciding where to go next.
Meanwhile, everyone else is trying to enter or exit around them.
The solution is incredibly simple:
Step aside.
You can continue your conversation. You can check your phone. You can wait for your friend.
Just don’t occupy the one place through which everyone else has to pass.
Even Religious Places Need Situational Awareness
This becomes particularly interesting at religious places.
Someone may stop at the entrance to bow or offer a prayer. Someone else may walk backwards after paying respects because they don’t want to turn their back towards the deity.
The intention may be completely respectful.
But there is still another question:
Is the way we are doing it affecting the people around us?
If you want to bow at an entrance, perhaps step slightly to the side.
If you want to walk backwards after praying, perhaps first check whether someone is behind you.
Faith and civic sense don’t have to contradict each other.
You can respect God without forgetting the people sharing the same space.
Queues Are a Shared Responsibility
At railway stations, religious places, airports, hospitals and public counters, queues exist for one simple reason: they help everyone move efficiently.
Yet we sometimes see people trying to move ahead, standing sideways across the queue, or creating unnecessary congestion.
A queue works only when everyone agrees to respect it.
Your Personal Space Doesn’t End With Your Body
Sometimes you see someone walking through a crowded place with their arms stretched out for balance.
Again, there may be nothing wrong with the intention.
But in a crowded environment, those extra movements can make it difficult for people to pass.
The same applies to suddenly stopping, turning around without looking, swinging a bag around or changing direction without warning.
These things may seem insignificant individually.
But when hundreds of people behave this way simultaneously, the entire public space becomes unnecessarily chaotic.
And Then There Is the Volume
Why does a person speaking on the phone sometimes feel like they are addressing an entire railway station?
Why does a small conversation sometimes become a public announcement?
There is nothing wrong with talking.
But public spaces are shared spaces.
You don’t necessarily have to whisper—but perhaps you don’t need everyone within 20 metres to know what you’re discussing either.
The Real Problem Is Not Rules. It Is Awareness.
Most of these behaviours aren’t necessarily serious violations of any rule.
The issue is situational awareness.
We get so absorbed in what we are doing that we forget to notice what is happening around us.
“I’m just stopping for a minute.”
“I’m just praying.”
“I’m just talking to my friend.”
“I’m just walking this way.”
“I’m just checking my phone.”
But imagine hundreds of people saying “I’m just…” at the same time.
That is how public spaces become chaotic.
Civic Sense Is the Ability to Think Beyond Yourself
Perhaps the simplest definition of civic sense is:
Before doing something in a public space, ask yourself: “Could this inconvenience or endanger someone around me?”
Look behind you before stopping.
Don’t block entrances.
Let people exit before entering.
Move predictably.
Keep your voice under control.
Be conscious of your movements in crowded spaces.
Respect religious practices—but also respect the people sharing the same space.
And most importantly, understand that public space is not an extension of your personal space.
We often talk about making India cleaner, safer and more devloped.
Infrastructure certainly matters.
But development is also reflected in something much less visible:
How people behave when there is no one standing there to tell them what to do.
Maybe civic sense doesn’t begin with a government campaign.
Maybe it begins with something much smaller: