India might be developing fast but when it comes to hygiene, we clearly still have a long way to go. A demonstration of this was recently given in Kerala. A group of Russian tourists ended up cleaning the famous Fort Kochi Beach. This incident is widely viewed as an embarrassment for the government of Kerala. Here are all of the important details that you would need to know about this incident.
Russians Clean Fort Kochi Beach And Indians Are Ashamed
Kerala’s shame. It took a group of Russian tourists to clean up a beach in Fort Kochi. Kochi is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations and is visited by millions each year. And yet neither the local municipality, nor the state government, or the local citizens moved a… pic.twitter.com/MUEiDOjYMn
— Rakesh Krishnan Simha (@ByRakeshSimha) January 29, 2024
Recently, a couple of videos went viral on X (formerly known as Twitter) and not for good reason, at least for Indians. The video showed a group of Russian tourists cleaning up the famous beach at Fort Kochi in Kerala.
Very shameful. However there’s literally nothing the govt (be it NDA or UPA) is doing to clean our streets, our city, our country. Swachh Bharat has had no impact on ground.
— Arun Gopalan (@ArunGopalan) January 29, 2024
If reports are to go by, it is said that the tourists were simply visiting the location. However, the litter on the beach bothered them so much that they decided to clean the beach. The video shows these foreigners collecting heaps of garbage into bags.
We can’t even keep our temples & tirth sthan clean what to talk of other places. Our responsibility it seems ends at our door.
— Jayant Singh (@JayantS09657814) January 29, 2024
This is now widely considered a huge moment of shame for the government of Kerala and Indians alike. This particular littered beach is sadly not an outlier but a norm in India. There are countless beaches that are littered similarly or worse.
So absolutely true. I am always appalled by the amount of plastic that Indian tourists throw. Thank you for sharing awareness.
— Kamya | Spirituality & Hindu Civilisation 𓆸 (@iamkamyabuch) January 29, 2024
Netizens React With Anger And Embarrassment At This
Russian visitors cleaning up #FortKochi beach. For all of these years, the locals never thought of it. Will they wake up at least now?🤞🤔 pic.twitter.com/IAznEZk99p
— Muralidhar Rao (@murali772) January 29, 2024
Many people on the Internet reacted with embarrassment. The fact that Kerala has a 100 per cent literacy rate and yet cannot maintain the hygiene of a famous tourist destination was viewed as a huge loss.
Why is this the job of the local population to clean up the mess left by tourists?
— Dr. Michael Onyebuchi Eze (@realBuchiEze) February 1, 2024
Many argued that unless the people themselves didn’t take the initiative, it would be hard to improve the situation. Some people blamed the government while others blamed the tourists. Some even went on to highlight how this is a failure of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan started by the PM.
No. Will never happen. Indians are dirty, filthy. Go to any temple, you’ll see filth. Quite a pleasant surprise if you visit a Buddhist monastery. We have “othered” everyone, so we clean our own houses and dump garbage on “them”. It’s part of our culture and tradition. 😡
— Not Me (@NotMe19618102) January 30, 2024
Also Read: Varun Dhawan Shares Sweet Pictures From His Fun Family Vacation In Kochi With David & Karuna Dhawan
Have you ever gone on a beach cleaning drive? How do you ensure that your locality stays clean? Let us know in the comments section below!
Cover Image Credits: @murali772/X (Formerly, Twitter)
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