Civic sense: The soul of a responsible state

A duty of every citizen’s civic sense is the awareness and responsibility that individuals show towards society and public property. It includes simple yet essential habits such as maintaining cleanliness, following traffic rules, respecting public spaces, standing in queues, and obeying laws. Civic sense reflects a person’s awareness of living harmoniously within a community. The importance of a civic sense cannot be overstated. A society where citizens act responsibly remains clean, safe, and peaceful. Roads become safer when traffic rules are followed, public places remain hygienic when people avoid littering, and community life becomes more organised when individuals respect one another. True development is not measured only by infrastructure, but also by the discipline of its people.
However, the lack of civic sense is visible in many aspects of life. Littering in markets and streets, damaging public property, and ignoring traffic rules are common concerns. Such behaviour not only harms the environment but also affects our state’s image and progress. This decline often stems from a lack of awareness and moral education. When responsibility and respect are not instilled from an early age, people tend to neglect their duties. Weak Enforcement of laws and the tendency to blame others instead of taking personal responsibility further worsen the issue. Education and institutions play a vital role in nurturing civic awareness. Schools, colleges, churches and community organisations in Nagaland can actively promote responsible behaviour through awareness drives, cleanliness campaigns and value-based education.
When civic sense is neglected, the fabric of a functioning society begins to unravel, transforming shared spaces from communal assets into psychological battlefields, where visible disorder, such as litter or vandalism, signals a lack of accountability, encouraging further neglect and eventually leading to systemic decay. At a personal level, living in such an environment depletes a citizen’s “mental bandwidth,” as the constant stress of navigating chaotic traffic, noise pollution, and unhygienic streets leaves little psychological surplus for empathy.
The consequences extend deeply into public health and the economy, as improper waste disposal and poor hygiene facilitate the rapid spread of diseases like cholera and typhoid, while the state is forced to divert massive resources toward cleaning and repairing infrastructure that was intentionally mistreated. Socially, the disregard for unspoken norms fosters a “me-first” mentality that erodes community trust, often escalating into road rage, communal friction, or even violence when personal convenience is prioritised over the collective good.
Ultimately, this deficit tarnishes a nation’s global reputation and economic future. International tourists and investors are often deterred by the visible lack of order, while professionals who fail to practice basic civic etiquette find their credibility undermined on the global stage.
Civic sense is the foundation of a disciplined and progressive society. The future of Nagaland depends not only on policies and governance but also on the everyday actions of its citizens. If each individual takes responsibility, positive change will surely follow.
Menguseno &
Neilasenuo Zumvü,
BA 6th Semester
Department of
Education,
Modern College