Chalta hai won’t work?

Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on Tuesday morning addressed the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the 71st Independence Day. In his speech, he had many pertinent messages for his countrymen. One of which was how we need to shed our ‘jugadu’ nature. He called for an end to the ‘chalta hai’ attitude of complacency and need to adopt a ‘badal sakta hai’ attitude to bring about a positive change.

But can Indians easily give up this trait that’s almost second nature? We can jump over potholes, jaywalk, drive on wrong lanes, throw wrappers on road, piss outside public urinals and what not, and brush it all off with the magic words ‘chalta hai’. Even Akshay Kumar has been dancing to the tune of Toilet Ka Jugaad track lately! So, we asked some eminent Indians about our famous ‘chalta hai’ attitude and here’s what they had to say...

Neeti Palta
Once I went to a chemist to buy some medicines. After he handed me the medicines, I told him they were past their expiry date. What he said next to sell them off amused me no end. He said, “We are Hindus. It is not dead, it will be reborn, take it.” I think as long as there will be problems, there will also be ‘enterprising’ Indians coming up with jugadu solutions with the chalta hai toh chalne doh motto.  

Abhilash Thapiyal
When engineers work for foreign companies, they have to keep their systems on throughout without letting it go into sleep mode. Especially in night shifts, it becomes quite a task as you have to be awake. Par humein toh power nap leni hai. So, what we do is open a word document and put something heavy on the space bar, so that it keeps typing. Forget sincerity and hard work, we can’t stay awake for angreez. Once my character, Muffler Man, was blamed for having a ‘chalta hai’ attitude, but being a true leader, he said, “My attitude is just like me. Woh chalta nahi hai, woh bhi dharne peh baithta hai.”

Gaurav Kapoor
I remember I was representing my college in a cricket match. The thing was if we had won that match, we would have progressed in the journey and our next match would have been lined up in a couple of days. But there was a college trip the next day. So, some of my friends and I underplayed and made sure to lose the game so that we could get to go on the trip. When other players were cursing us, we were like ‘chalta hai yaar, itna dil par nahi lagate’. So, we all know, desperate times call for desperate measures. I have had noodles rolled in a bread when I felt hungry. Our country is full of chilled-out people.

Vasu Primlani
Just look at how we treat garbage. We throw trash in water bodies and then wait for the drains to be clogged and become a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Once we wake up to the fact by its stench, we try to take the garbage out of the water body. We are good at driving an old wagon. But to ride a luxury car, you need both talent and expertise. Basically, we need to thrive and not just survive.

Raju Srivastav
Once in London, we have tied a coin and used it in a public telephone booth. We made calls to India and did this several times. Jugaad is something that is so deep-rooted in Indians that it will take time to get rid of it. What Modiji has said is right, but it will take a lot of time for Indians to get there. Of course, it is not impossible.

Pratyush Chaubey
I was coming out of a washroom of a venue after the show and I saw a lady asking the security guard where the ladies washroom is. The guard told her, “Madam, yahi ek toilet hai , aap isi mein chale jao, aur ander se kundi laga lena, bas ban gaya ladies toilet.” It’s a simple example of how we don’t want to change anything and make do with what we have. We Indians are simple people!