A widely shared video from Indore Airport has sparked a nationwide debate on civic responsibility, public hygiene, and the need to teach children appropriate conduct in public spaces. The footage, featuring a young boy urinating on the airport tarmac as his parents stand close by, has triggered extensive reactions across social media platforms.
Although many users condemned the incident, entrepreneur and Chai Sutta Bar co-founder Anubhav Dubey who posted the video on Instagram urged people not to hold the child responsible. Instead, he stated that the episode points to a far more serious problem embedded in social behaviour and parenting practices.
"Children are innocent," says Anubhav Dubey
Responding to the viral video, Dubey stated that the child should not be blamed for the incident, as young children tend to copy the behavior they observe around them. “Children are innocent. He is just a kid. It is a basic parenting issue,” he said.
Dubey emphasizes that parents and guardians are the primary influencers in developing children’s awareness of hygiene, civic responsibility, and respect for public spaces.
A reflection of long-standing social habits
Dubey noted that public urination is now a frequent sight in many areas of India, which has led many people to view the behaviour as acceptable.“Sometimes, people come from villages, where this is very common. Male urination is already very common not just in rural areas but in urban areas as well,” he said.
He also observed that once a particular behaviour becomes common, society tends to regard it as normal.“If something becomes common, it gets validation for acceptance,” he added. His remarks shifted the conversation from blaming an individual child to examining broader societal attitudes towards sanitation and civic responsibility.
Concerns over India's public image
Dubey also raised concerns about how such incidents might shape the impressions of tourists coming to the country, particularly in light of Indore’s standing as one of India’s cleanest cities.“Just think, if an outsider had seen this, what would he think of the country?” he said.
His remarks struck a chord with many social media users, who contended that keeping the environment clean is not just the duty of municipal bodies, but a shared responsibility of all citizens.
Cleanliness requires more than infrastructure
While recognizing the government’s initiatives to enhance sanitation through extensive cleanliness campaigns and the expansion of public toilet facilities, Dubey emphasized that infrastructure by itself cannot resolve the issue.He said real progress comes when people voluntarily adopt responsible habits and teach them to the next generation.
“In developed countries, it is not just about GDP. Behaviour and civic sense among people are much stronger. That is the real difference,” he said.
He emphasized that civic awareness, discipline, and respect for shared public spaces are just as crucial as other measures in assessing a nation's development.
