In his latest book, ‘WTF India’, marketeer, brand strategist, and columnist Suhel Seth asks whether we collectively, as a country, are “losing the plot.” After all, we have a rover on the Moon and craters on roads; our rivers are sewers, our sewers are roads, and our roads are rivers. Bribery is rampant, and our income bracket determines the quality of air we breathe. Seth is rightfully outraged and wants everyone—from citizens to the government—to wake up and smell the coffee. But do not mistake the book for the rant of an angry man; it is darkly humorous, party agnostic, and the butt of the joke is all of us. He speaks to The Indian Express about Gurugram floods, red tape, and how we are complicit in the state of our country. Edited excerpts:Accountability is the credo of the moment. Is outrage an essential condition for it?This is not only about the government. It is both outrage and self‑rage. Outrage against the powers that be who are supposed to give us basic facilities—we have not asked for the moon. But the tragedy is that governments, whether Congress or BJP, treat development as secondary to elections. In places like Gurugram, which contribute the highest revenue but the lowest vote share, they simply don’t care. It is self‑rage too — we keep our homes clean but litter the service lanes. We want others to complain on our behalf. You cannot have partial responsibility. To make an omelette, you have to break the egg.Is it fair that we send spacecraft to the moon while our roads are still a mess?You hit the nail on the head. We can send a Rover to the Moon but we cannot get rid of the craters on our roads. I guess our specialty on the moon will be enhanced because of the number of craters we have. Look at history — the British gave us sewage systems and railways, post‑independence, have we created even one functioning hill station? No. They are riddled with plastic and illegal construction. We are very good at paperwork, pathetic at development. We lack passion.Should our budget go to big aspirational projects or to basic infrastructure first?People live and invest in cities that function. If you work for Coca‑Cola in Gurugram and can’t get to work for two days because of flooding, what impression does that give of brand India? The monsoons have been coming for 4,000 years. We know they’re coming, yet we never prepare. We are a post‑facto country, not a prepared one. And the biggest problem is our governance structure. Can you name the mayor of Delhi or Gurugram? No. Because everything is linked to politics, not development.You call us ‘air pollution refugees’ and talk about the privatisation of air.I can afford an air purifier, so I privatise my air. But in November and December, my wife and child have to leave Delhi because of the pollution. Is that fair? Not at all. What about the poorest who can’t leave? They are not asking for jalebi—they are asking for clean air. The book is dedicated to my daughter with a small letter: “May you grow into a nation rebuilt with hope.” I’m not asking for a 3‑trillion‑dollar economy, just safe streets and clean air.The introduction is full of ironies such as the rich man who bribes a cop, then posts about India being a superpower. What does it tell us about India?Exactly. He jumps over a cow blocking a six‑lane highway, takes a selfie, bribes a cop, complains about bribery, and then writes a LinkedIn post about becoming a superpower — before breakfast. There are two kinds of poverty: abject poverty and the impoverishment of opportunities. We have denied people clean water, clean streets, and even a simple death certificate — I know that from personal experience. We keep talking about being a superpower, but our basics are suffering.What is the solution? You have a whole chapter on what citizens must do.Stop taking it lying down. But I don’t believe in street protests — they get media attention for four days and then everyone forgets. We need an awakening. In 1999, I started Bhagidari — a partnership between citizen and government — until politics took over. Today, we need pester power from children, parents, RWAs. I’ve also proposed that IIT Delhi partner with the government to solve urban and rural problems. I pitched a programme called Innovate for Indians — not for India’s optics, but for Indians’ lives.Story continues below this adIf you had unlimited funds to fix one city, which would it be? And, what issue would you take up first?Pune — because of its large student population, its cosmopolitan character, and because it has been ruined over the last 30 years despite its industrial strength. I would also pick Amritsar, to show how spiritual tourism has turned heritage cities into garbage dumps. You saw the seven tonnes of waste left behind in Haridwar by pilgrims during the Kanwar Yatra. Celebrating your religion does not give you a licence to dirty streets where others live.You put out a WhatsApp number for complaints. What did you find?Around 62% of complaints were about bad roads and navigation. 21% were about garbage — that’s huge. I have seen vats of garbage outside hospitals and schools. What kind of country are we creating?You say compromise is in our DNA. Who is to blame?We are. The moment you bribe someone, you are complicit. The moment you stay silent, you are complicit. When I raised the issue of illegal signage in Gurugram, friends warned me, but there was no reprisal. In fact, the Additional Chief Secretary camped there for six days to fix things. We are the perpetrators of this mess, in partnership with governments. But that doesn’t mean we can’t change. In India, we have a problem for every solution, which has to stop. The book ends with solutions, not just rage.What message should the readers take from your book?The young will inherit this country—either messy or clean. Today, more young people are getting involved in environment and pollution issues. We need to change our DNA. If there is willingness, there is a way. Look at Singapore—it is not about being a city‑state, it’s about culture. We must bring back a sense of responsibility at every level.