In Uttarakhand, an elderly man stopped tourists throwing garbage from their car. He taught them the lesson of cleanliness by peacefully returning the garbage. The video of his move went viral and people appreciated it a lot.
A video from Uttarakhand is going viral on social media. In this, an elderly man is seen teaching a lesson to tourists throwing garbage from their cars by stopping them in the middle of the road. People on the internet are praising his move a lot. The incident happened on a busy road in Uttarakhand, when the traffic had slowed down for a while. In this viral video, the man gets out of his car and walks towards another car in which tourists were allegedly throwing a disposable glass and spoon on the road.
Later this person was identified as social activist Anup Nautiyal.
Garbage returned to tourists peacefully!
This video was recorded by a person sitting in the car with Nautiyal. At the beginning of the clip, Nautiyal is seen going towards the tourists’ car to return the garbage to them and explain his point. Although the conversation between him and the tourists is not clearly heard in the video, the person recording the video tells what happened. He says that tourists threw garbage out of their cars and Nautiyal has gone to return the same garbage to them and politely explain that littering is wrong. It is seen in the video that Nautiyal is talking to the tourists peacefully instead of shouting or arguing. After talking for a while he returns to his car.
When they sit back down, the person making the video asks them if the tourists admitted their mistake. Nautiyal replies that he agreed. “Yes, they agreed,” he says in the video. He further says that he told the tourists not to spread garbage anywhere, not only in Uttarakhand. He also said that the tourists seemed educated and a little embarrassed by their mistake. He added, “But what’s wrong is wrong.”
People praised on social media
This video spread rapidly online. Many praised Nautiyal for handling the situation in a respectful and peaceful manner. Many users said that such behavior is necessary to protect the hills, roads and tourist places of Uttarakhand from increasing pollution.
One user wrote, “People in this country do not consider the country as their home. It is very important to remind them of this.”
Another person commented that people should be stopped and fined for littering so that they understand the seriousness of the issue.
Many users praised Nautiyal’s calm behavior and civic sense. The social media platform was flooded with comments like “Awesome Sir”, “Great job”, and “Salute to you”.
One viewer wrote, “Your small step is an example for many others.” Another user said, “It’s easy to say, but you did it.”
Debate on civic sense and education
This viral clip has also sparked a big debate in India regarding civic sense. Many people said that spreading filth remains a big problem even among educated people. One comment read, “Civic sense is not a subject in our education system.” Another user jokingly said that it is often the more educated people who throw the most garbage. Some viewers also shared their experiences of stopping people throwing garbage from cars. Some said they faced arguments or anger when they tried to stop them from littering.
One person wrote that it takes courage to give advice to strangers on the street these days because some people get angry. Others said every vehicle should have a small trash bag instead of throwing trash out.
Appeal to save the beauty of Uttarakhand
Many comments emphasized on preserving the natural beauty of Uttarakhand, especially as the number of tourists is continuously increasing. Users said that spreading filth is causing damage to the hills, rivers and roads of the state. Some people claimed that tourists coming from other states often leave behind plastic bottles, food packets and drink cans.
One viewer wrote that similar behavior is common in places like Rishikesh and Ladakh, where tourists reportedly throw bottles and wrappers in the open. Some users also said that parents who spread filth in front of children teach the same bad habits to the next generation.
At the same time, it was also argued in some comments that Municipal Corporation employees get paid for cleaning roads and collecting garbage. However, most users disagreed and said that it is everyone’s responsibility to keep public places clean. This video has become popular not because of any anger or violence, but because of the calm and respectful way in which the elderly man handled the situation. Many viewers said the clip sends a strong message that ordinary citizens should speak up whenever they see public places being dirty.