Being a native of a country gives a lot of advantage; you may twist the rules and still get away with it. However, when you are a foreigner, you have to understand some rules that you must never break in the foreign land. When someone comes to India for the first time, the first reaction is a cultural shock. The immense crowd, a chaotic union of cultures, and different dialects all over the country can puzzle even the Indians, forget the confusion of travelers. Do your research well and never do the things that are not acceptable by the law in the country.
Smoking in public places
The laws in India are getting stricter day by day. Even though you will find many locals smoking openly on the roads, it is illegal to smoke in offices, railway stations, bus stops, theaters, auditoriums, and hospitals. If you feel like smoking, you may go to the smoking areas designated at airports, restaurants, and bars. The amount of fine for the offense is not much at present, but you must refrain from smoking where too many people are present. States like Kerala may even remand the offender under the laws of the regional public nuisance.
Interrupting the national anthem
The entire nation is rightfully touchy about the national anthem. Although the law does not state for everyone to stand for the national anthem or sing with everyone, it still commands basic respect. You may wish not to participate in the ceremony, but disrupting the national anthem is punishable under the law to jail the offender up to three years!
Unsuccessful suicide attempt
Dying from suicide already sounds too cruel, but failing at the attempt may also land you in jail in India! Mental Health Care Bill 2013 states that the person, if suffering from mental sickness, tries to commit suicide, can walk out free. However, if the person is proved mentally fit, the jail term is inevitable if someone files a complaint.
Drawing the emergency chain in a train
The facility of pulling the string is there to stop the train in an emergency, but it may land you in jail if you do not have any legit reason for it. A penalty for the same is also there, yet you have a valid emergency reason to make the driver cause inconvenience to thousands of people for you.
Legal age for drinking liquor
Different states in India have a certain minimum age limit to allow drinking liquor. Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa may let you drink legally at the age of 18, but a few other states may not until you are 25! If you fall in this bracket of 18-25 years, you must verify the legal age for drinking in the state you visit.
Unsuitable usage of National Flag
When you are in the USA or the UK, you can often see people wearing clothes with the national flag of the country. However the Indian constitution forbids anyone to use the National Flag as clothes or drapery, and it may land you in jail for three years!
Abusing religious symbols and beliefs
The beliefs of a religion in any country can be unscientific and illogical sometimes, and it is the same case in India as well. Even though you may want to confront someone for being superstitious, you must not insult the religion or ridicule it deliberately. You may find yourself in jail if someone files a complaint against it.
Every country has specific founding principles, against which it tolerates no interruption from anyone, be it a native or a foreigner. When you come to India, you must respect the local traditions.
You certainly don’t want to miss visiting different cities in India. So, don’t delay. Just book your safe and sanitized self-drive car rental and get set to explore.
