Civility survey out of touch with Indian culture

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Civility survey out of touch with Indian culture

Indian culture does not fit the test mode of Reader's Digest and that led to Mumbai's bad ranking in its civility survey.

CJ: Rajen Nair

Sat, Jul 08, 2006 00:00:00 IST

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THE WORLDWIDE CIVILITY test survey carried out by the Reader’s Digest (RD) amongst 35 countries had some startling revelation. Our Mumbai was in for a rude shock! The RD team judged Mumbai to be the rudest city in the world. In recognition of this dubious distinction India’s financial capital received Reader’s Digest Raspberry Award.

The city dwellers reacted with chagrin and shock at the outcome of the survey conducted. But, people of Mumbai can take heart from the fact that even London and Paris, both from developed countries, were no better and received low joint ranking of ninth out of 35 cities. New York stood out on the top garnering 80 per cent rating for its kindness, courtesy and jolly good fellow attitude.

The Reader’s Digest had carried out the civility survey in 35 cities spread over the world. It involved three basic tests: holding out the door open for someone behind you, helping a passer-by pick up a dropped newspaper or pile of documents and a ‘thank you’ by the salesclerks to the shoppers after their retail experience.

In Mumbai both the commoners and higher echelons of the city closed ranks in expressing their disappointment at the result of the survey. The vast population of migrants, who regard Mumbai to be their dream city, hold it in reverence and awe for offering them job opportunities and a chance to make it big. The city’s rich and famous include big industrialists like the late Dhirubhai Ambani, a migrant from a humble background, who went on to create a giant conglomerate like Reliance industries and superstars like Amitabh Bachchan or Shah Rukh Khan, who are today heartthrobs of millions of film buffs.

India has a 5000 year-old civilisation. Indian culture is more inward looking and unlike westerners the Indians are not used to overt expression of emotions in public places. Perhaps this might explain our reserved attitude in not opening up so easily to strangers. Commonly used western phrases like ‘ I love you’, ‘thank you’, or ‘sorry’, or expression of emotions like hugging or planting a kiss, are alien to our culture and not part of our upbringing. This does not mean that people of Mumbai are in anyway discourteous or heartless. During last year’s July deluge the people of Mumbai have demonstrated their remarkable helping attitude by rescuing and saving many lives. Back in 1993, in the aftermath of Mumbai bomb-blast the resilience shown by the Mumbaikars is worth mentioning.

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Posted comments (5)

	There are two possibilities: One, that RD DID do a survey using a standard questionnaire, for all samples, one for each country. In which case, cultural differences between countries would have been ignored just for sake of a common questionnaire. And let us in that case dismiss the "findings" as absurd. The other possibility is that the RD, while claiming that it conducted a survey, would have simply cooked up these results as though based on survey which was never done despite claim to the contrary. The RD does enjoy a subscription base of several lakhs, and the magazine's price is being increased year after year, while neither the quality nor the quantity is being enhanced, and of course, sensational themes especially appealing to average class readers are published in each issue, with highlighting on cover page, such as Is fidelity in marriage still current, and the like - which are essentially audaciously Western in their audaciously western in their concept and relevance. That said, to announce results of a survey calling the Mumbaikar the rudest on earth, with an upfront scream to that effect, should only be considered a sales gimmick by the mag. And remember, India has a large subscriber base for this mag.
	\| 02 August 2006 Reply to Comment \| New Comment \| Report Abuse

	I totally agree with the article and at the same time I have a few more points to add.Do you mean the check out clerk in the super market who asks you how are you, really is asking you with human feelings? No it's just mechanical. If the clerk does not do that, they loose job. New York, city in US of A, is aso the place where someone can sue you for not saying thank you, or holding the door open or helping them pick up the dropped documents. So such mechanical, out of compulsion behaviour cannot be treated as civility. Excuse me, I am a born Mumbaikar or if you wish to call Bombaite and I am alive and kicking. I don't want to be dead machine. I am more civil then the most civilised. BTW one correction, Indian society is even older than 5,000 years. Just for the record.
	\| 27 July 2006 Reply to Comment \| New Comment \| Report Abuse

	Thank u Mr.Rajen nair,u have put our thoughts into words beautifully.I hope the editor of reader's digest has an oppetunity to read this.
	\| 16 July 2006 Reply to Comment \| New Comment \| Report Abuse