3 min readNew DelhiApr 6, 2026 02:42 PM IST
First published on: Apr 6, 2026 at 02:42 PM IST
An Indian woman’s honest take on Sri Lanka’s beaches has triggered an online discussion about cleanliness and civic sense. An Instagram user named Mehaik shared a video from a Sri Lankan beach, comparing its pristine condition to the state of beaches back home.
In the video, she said, “I have to say this, that Sri Lanka has embarrassed me. A country that is smaller, economically struggling, that literally declared bankruptcy, and yet their beaches are clean and spotless. Not a single plastic bottle, not a wrapper, nothing at all. And here we are in India with more resources and a bigger economy but yet we can’t keep our own beaches clean. And I’m not even comparing India to Europe. This is a developing country just like us. So what’s our excuse? Because clearly, it’s not about the money. Maybe that’s the uncomfortable truth we don’t want to hear.”
Mehaik also expanded on her thoughts in the caption, reflecting on what stood out to her beyond just appearances. “I didn’t expect to feel this way, but some places really make you pause and reflect. The beaches in Sri Lanka felt unreal, not because they’re more beautiful ok maybe they are but because of the care. The respect. The intention. It made me wonder we have everything we need, so what are we missing? Is it awareness? Accountability? Or just habit? And more importantly, when did we start accepting this as normal?”
Watch the video:
Her comments resonated with many, sparking conversations around everyday behaviour, responsibility, and how public spaces are treated. The video quickly gained traction, with people sharing their own observations in the comments.
An Instagram user wrote, “Also, their roads are spotless! No trash piled up everywhere or even potholes.” Another suggested, “Civic sense should be a subject in Indian schools throughout urban and rural schools.”
Others took a more direct stance, with one comment reading, “We are the problem.”
Meanwhile, a Sri Lankan user offered a cultural perspective, explaining, “Thanks for the observation. I think we as Sri Lankans brought up from school to maintain our environment clean. I can vividly remember, until I complete my A/Ls, every class room has its own cleaning roster for students. We have to clean our own classroom daily. Until I leave my school, I cleaned my classroom once a week. Each day is allocated to 6-7 students. Its our responsibility to clean our classroom. Sometimes, the punishment we receive from our teacher is to pick up 10 chocalate/toffee wrapper from school. Our teachers taught us to pick and drop the garbage in dustbin even if its dropped someone else. If someone toffee wrapper is fallen and we see it, we put it in garbage bin. So in nutshell, I think it is the mindset.”
Disclaimer: This story is based on viral social media content and individual opinions that have not been independently verified; it is intended for informational purposes and to highlight ongoing public discussions.
Mehaik also expanded on her thoughts in the caption, reflecting on what stood out to her beyond just appearances 
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