Develop a sense of ownership towards public property

I asked the group a simple question: What all are the things a person can own? House, vehicle, property, jewellery, etc, the list went on. These were valid answers, but I was not content with those replies.

We all take care of our property very well. Why? We value it because we have put hard-earned money in it. But do we show the same concern and care towards public property?

The thing that’s lacking is the sense of ownership. We value our house and jewellery because there’s a sense of ownership towards them.

Then why is it missing when it comes to public property? Many of us would say that a sense of ownership is absent because “we didn’t pay for it” or because “it is not ours”. We all somewhere deep down believe so, that it is not ours, so, why should we care! But the point is we did pay for it. Yes, we have, in the form of taxes.

Cash or kind, we value every part of it that is ours. So then why not also value our money that exists in the form of public property and civic amenities?

The sense of ownership can be developed in two ways. One, by acting responsibly and being an aware citizen. Two, if our government helps us believe so by giving us an assurance that our money is being put to good use; that it is not being siphoned off by a private individual.

In simple words, we need to know that our money is being used for the right purposes. So let’s promise to work together as a society and create that awareness, and be more responsible to our country.