Editor,
Our beautiful land of the rising sun is in the throes of a transformation that’s as rapid as it is perplexing. Just drive through our bustling towns and you’ll see a vibrant display of youth decked out in the latest Western fashion. Global pop anthems blare from cars and cafes and Instagram feeds are filled with curated images that could easily pass for scenes from Seoul or London. On the surface this Westernization isn’t just obvious it’s practically a statement.
But if you scratch beneath that gleaming surface, a startling paradox emerges. It’s the unsettling gap between this frantic adoption of superficial Western styles and the stubbornly slow evolution of a corresponding mental growth especially when it comes to civic sense, public etiquettes and a broader understanding of individual responsibility in our shared modern spaces. My real concern isn’t about fashion or music, those are just natural parts of a globalized world. It’s about what doesn’t change at the same pace: the deep-seated societal habits and ethical frameworks that just aren’t keeping up with our new urban realities.
We see Arunachalees embracing the Western look with impressive enthusiasm. Yet, often a certain kind of thinking, in its less flattering forms stripped of its traditional, community-focused virtues persists in places where modern civic consciousness should take over. This is where the disconnect becomes glaring.
Think about our streets. You’ll see impeccably dressed people casually tossing plastic wrappers from moving vehicles, turning our pristine landscapes into accidental garbage dumps. The very hands holding the latest smartphones snapping picturesque selfies against a mountain backdrop often miss the simple idea of putting trash in a bin or not spitting paan stains on public walls. This isn’t usually done with malice it’s more often a lack of ingrained civic habit, a mindset perhaps formed in open, less crowded tribal settlements where waste was biodegradable and community accountability was direct and personal. In a modern town though those informal checks are gone and individual responsibility often feels disconnected from its wider societal impact.
The chaotic traffic is another clear sign. Even as our vehicles get more sophisticated and drivers wear Western clothes the basic understanding of lane discipline, pedestrian rights or simply the courtesy of yielding often seems absent. Horns blare nonstop overtaking is daring and parking rules seem more like suggestions. This points to a persistent “me-first” attitude in public spaces, perhaps a lingering habitual imprint from a time when personal cars were rare and roads were just extensions of village paths, where individual movement was less regulated and collective traffic management wasn’t a worry. Our quick adoption of modern transport has simply outpaced the crucial mental shift needed to navigate shared infrastructure.
And then there’s the common sight of no one queuing properly, loud phone conversations in quiet public areas and a casual disrespect for public property. These aren’t just flaws unique to Arunachal they’re growing pains many rapidly urbanizing societies experience. But here, the contrast feels particularly sharp precisely because our outward transformation has been so dramatic. Our strong tribal sense of community, traditionally robust within defined kinship circles often struggles to expand into a broader civic community that goes beyond immediate family or tribal connections. The idea of public space as something shared and mutually respected rather than just an extension of one’s own private world is slow to develop.
The deeper issue is that genuine Westernization isn’t just about consumerism it’s also about an underlying philosophy of individualism balanced with civic responsibility, the rule of law and a shared understanding of the public good. It involves a clear separation of private and public spheres and an unspoken social contract that guides interactions in anonymous urban settings. This complex internal framework takes generations to build, growing naturally through education, social conditioning and consistent enforcement. We in Arunachal have imported the goods and the aesthetics at lightning speed but the intangible, slower-to-cultivate software of civic consciousness lags woefully behind.
This isn’t a criticism of our people but an urgent call for us to look inward. Our indigenous cultures hold immense wisdom-from caring for the environment to respecting elders and strong community bonds within the tribe. The challenge now is to thoughtfully translate and expand these core values into the context of modern civic life. We need to actively foster a sense of public personhood that truly complements our deeply rooted tribal identities.
This demands more than just building roads and buildings, it demands building minds. It calls for targeted civic education not just in schools but through widespread public campaigns. It requires our community leaders and elders to actively champion these new civic virtues, bridging the gap between traditional wisdom and modern necessities. It means holding ourselves accountable, recognizing that the freedom of Western consumerism comes hand-in-hand with the responsibility of Western civic participation.
Until we consciously bridge this unsettling gap, until our public conduct matures to match our modern attire and our collective consciousness grasps that a shiny exterior demands a polished interior. Arunachal Pradesh will remain a land of striking contrasts: a beautiful paradox of Western looks and a civic soul still playing catch-up. The dawn is breaking but true enlightenment will only arrive when our inner transformation keeps pace with our outer appearance.
Karpop Riba